Eve’s new smart outlet has Matter, Thread, and energy monitoring

There’s finally a Thread-enabled, Matter-compatible wall outlet, and it has energy monitoring! (But there’s a catch). Today, Eve Systems, maker of the excellent Eve Energy smart plug, announced the Eve Energy Outlet, which will launch on February 6th, 2024. As a Matter device, this $49.99 smart duplex outlet can work with Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings, and any Matter-compatible platform. It uses the Thread wireless protocol and, as with all Eve devices, doesn’t require a cloud connection.

While Aqara has announced an EU wall outlet and Leviton has pledged Matter support for its line, which includes wall outlets, you can’t currently buy a Matter-enabled outlet. (But there are dozens of smart plugs.) Wall outlets are a bit more involved than smart plugs, requiring hardwiring into your wall, but they avoid the ugly wall wart issue of smart plugs and make more sense when remodeling or building a new home. 

Each receptacle on the Eve Energy Outlet can be controlled individually, allowing for control of devices like lamps, fans, space heaters, and other electrical appliances. As there are two outlets, it’s a better value than Eve’s smart plug, which only has one outlet and costs $40.

Now, about that catch. Like the smart plug, the new outlet offers energy monitoring, but it can only be accessed through Eve’s app on iOS or the Samsung SmartThings app on iOS or Android. While the outlet will work with any Matter-compatible platform, such as Amazon Alexa and Google Home, it can’t provide energy monitoring through those platforms, as Matter doesn’t support energy monitoring yet.

As a Thread device, the Eve Energy Outlet needs a Thread border router and a Matter controller to work in a Matter platform. You’ll need to use ones from Apple or Samsung SmartThings for the energy monitoring capabilities. But with any platform, the outlet will work with app and voice control, remote access, and to integrate into scenes and automations. Eve has a handy guide to help you figure out which controller you need for the ecosystem you want to use it in. 

Eve also announced that a Matter version of its Thread smart light switch is coming in the second quarter of 2024 for $49.95. At the same time, existing Eve Thread smart switches, which were launched earlier this year, will get an optional Matter upgrade. The Eve switch is on / off only; it doesn’t offer dimming. There are still no Thread dimmer switches that work with Matter.

As mains-powered devices, the switch and outlet can act as router nodes in a Thread mesh network, helping extend the mesh to offer more coverage throughout your home.

The company also announced it’s launching its own smart blinds collection using its battery-powered MotionBlinds motors that work over Thread. Currently available through third-party sellers, made-to-measure Matter smart roller blinds will be available to order in semitransparent and blackout options directly from Eve starting February 1st, 2024 (in the US and Germany only).

Existing MotionBlinds products can now upgrade to Matter via a firmware update that was released on December 7th. Upgrading allows the blinds to be used in any Matter-compatible platform. Without the Matter upgrade, they only work with Apple HomeKit. To use Eve’s Adaptive Shading feature that adjusts the blind based on the position of the sun, you have to use them in Apple Home, as the function is only available in the Eve app, which is only on iOS. Despite promising an Eve Android app in 2021, the company has still not launched one.