We’ve seen some hardware makers already upgrade their Zigbee devices to be Thread compatible. I’m in the market for some smart buttons or non-mains powered switches and since it looks like there aren’t any Thread devices of this type available yet, I’d love to get ones that have the best chance of future Thread compatibility.
The Aqara Mini Switch T1 and possibly some other switches in that ecosystem look like they might be a good bet since they’re Zigbee 3.0 (and HomeKit-friendly). But is 3.0 the “magic” thing needed for Thread capability, or something else?
Any other options or things to looks for, like perhaps a specific Zigbee chipset that is known to be Thread-capable?
No, not really. Matter would be great. But as far as I know it’s not released/finished.
Since there’s just the one Thread switch available in the US now —the Scene selector by Wemo, at ~$50— I just want to do anything possible to up the chances that I choose devices that may have Thread support enabled in the future. (Thread being the network layer, so to speak.)
For example — Nano Leaf bulbs I have use Thread. That means they mesh with any other Thread devices, and they all are exposed to the local environment through an Apple TV serving as border router. These devices aren’t guaranteed to work with HomeKit or Google Home or Home Assistant. (That’s what Matter certification would give you.) But they are guaranteed to share the same mesh and border router.