Last year, we couldn't talk about CES without mentioning Matter. This was a pivotal year for smart home standards, as major companies such as Samsung, GE, and Amazon promised increased interoperability between their devices and the world of sensors, appliances, and accessories. But that promise primarily began and ended with smart home technology.
Things were a little different at CES this year. The idea of making products work well across the ecosystem permeated other areas of the showcase, spilling over to different devices and even getting on the same page with rivals to better serve users. .
For example, Google has unveiled several updates to Android that demonstrate a clear commitment to interoperability. One of Google's biggest updates is Nearby Share, Android's equivalent of AirDrop, which allows users to share files with other devices nearby. Rather than go it alone, Google announced that it has combined Nearby Share with Samsung's own feature called Quick Share. Google says the new unified sharing system will adopt Samsung's Quick Share label and combine the “best parts of sharing solutions” from both companies into a single cross-Android solution. This makes it easy to share files on both Samsung and Pixel devices.
Big tech brands aren't alone. Samsung is expanding its partnership with Microsoft to allow Galaxy owners to use their phones as their webcams for his Microsoft Teams app. LG brings Android's Quick Share to Windows PCs as a preinstalled app. LG's TVs have also added his Chromecast built-in, allowing users to cast content from their mobile devices and use their phones as remote controls. These are all small steps, but they are examples of companies collaborating with competitors to create a better experience for users.
Amazon is making even bolder attempts to make its apps and devices interoperable. We've adopted the open Matter Casting protocol, a standard aimed at making video casting available from any device. Rather than making functionality dependent on specific hardware, we only require that the app the user is casting to and the app on the device they're casting to support Matter Casting. For now, this move will only allow users to cast Prime Video content from their phones to the Echo Show 15, but Fire TVs, including those made by Panasonic, will soon be supported as well. Other streaming apps like Plex, Pluto TV, Sling TV, Starz, and ZDF are also working on adding support.
Perhaps the most important change to interoperability at CES was widespread support for Qi2.
But perhaps the most important change to interoperability at CES was widespread support for Qi2. Qi2 is a charging standard that will finally allow both Android phones and iPhones to be wirelessly charged at the same 15W rate using the same charger. Things are still in the early stages. Currently, only iPhone 13, 14, and 15 support this standard. However, Qi2-compatible Android devices should be arriving soon, and many Android phone cases already come with support for magnetic charging. Qi2 will allow both iPhone users and (eventually) Android users to take advantage of more powerful wireless charging capabilities without having to pay his Apple for the MagSafe charger, the technology underlying the Qi2 standard. Become. The first of his Qi2 chargers from Belkin, Anker and Satechi have already appeared at CES, giving users many options to get started.
This year, the theme of interoperability has expanded beyond the smart home, but that doesn't mean there haven't been major updates to home technology. The Home Connectivity Alliance, backed by companies such as LG and Samsung, has announced a new energy management interface specification. This should make it easier for users to connect their devices to energy-saving smart grids, regardless of brand.
All of these small advances toward interoperability are promising, but many still leave room for other companies to collaborate. For example, it's unlikely that Apple will implement Matter Casting in its native apps, and the new standard will complicate things since two popular (albeit proprietary) options already exist: Chromecast and AirPlay. Some might argue that it just does. That reality has always lurked behind the utopian façade that CES exudes, but we could finally see more technology rivals converging not only on the same show floor, but under the same roof. I was really happy.