Aqara Unveils First Matter-Certified Camera Hub Amidst Smart Home Expansion Plans
On March 17, smart home brand Aqara launched its first-ever camera certified under the universal Matter standard with a dual-lens system. The new G350 indoor security hub features up to four times zoom capabilities and integrates seamlessly into multi-platform ecosystems like Apple HomeKit alongside Samsung SmartThings devices. This release marks a significant milestone for interoperability in smart home technology, though initial reports suggest limited immediate utility specifically within the current scope of an "Apple-only" environment despite its broader compatibility claims
Key Points
-
1Aqara has released its Camera Hub G350 as the world's first Matter-certified smart home device.
-
2The new dual-lens system combines a wide-angle and telephoto lens for hybrid zoom up to 9x with motorized pan-tilt functionality. The company also announced Doorbell camera models, though Apple HomeKit integration remains limited in practice.
Developments
Perspectives
Aqara has unveiled its first Matter-certified cameras: the Camera Hub G350 (indoor) and Doorbell Camera G400, marking a significant milestone for multi-platform smart home integration.
— [Mar 17, 20:57] Aqara Launches a New Matter-Compatible Indoor CameraThe new cameras feature advanced hardware including dual-lens systems with up to 9x hybrid zoom on the G350 and motorized pan-tilt mechanisms.
— [Mar 17, 20:57] Aqara Launches a New Matter-Compatible Indoor CameraThe first matter-certified camera hub could serve as Apple Home HQ
— [Mar 17, 17:05] First Matter-certified camera hub could serve as Apple Home HQ (Cultofmac)"For the smart home standard to work across all platforms like it's supposed too you need a lot of different manufacturers making their own cameras that support matter. Aqara is doing exactly this and we're excited about what they've done here." - The Verge
— [Mar 17, 08:10] Hands on with Aqara's new Matter-compatible camera (The Verge)"For Apple Home users that means very little today" because the G350 only works via Samsung SmartThings despite being marketed as a universal solution.
— [Mar 17, 24:46] The first matter has arrived but apple won't notice (Appleinsider)Aqara has launched the Matter-compatible Camera Hub G350 indoor camera with a dual-lens system offering 4K wide-angle video up to nine times hybrid zoom; it also introduced the wired doorbell model (G400) featuring on-device AI detection for people, pets, and vehicles.
Aqara has launched its new HomeKit and Matter-compatible camera hub (G350), which features a 4K dual-lens system, motorized pan-tilt tracking for people or pets, invisible infrared night vision, and local storage up to 512GB. The device functions as both an indoor security camera with AI detection capabilities and a Zigbee/Thread/Matter hub within the Aqara Home app.
Aqara launched the Camera Hub G350 at CES with Matter 1.5 support and high-resolution dual-lens capabilities including up to four times zoom, but it currently functions as only an indoor security camera that streams live feeds when paired exclusively via Samsung SmartThings due to limited platform adoption of this standard yet today's firmware updates were required for basic connectivity before the device could be added directly through Matter.