The Guangzhou International Lighting Exhibition (GILE) opened its doors on Tuesday, marking its place as one of the largest and most influential trade shows for the global lighting industry. We took a brief tour of the smart home exhibition areas to see how manufacturers are adapting their hardware to meet the unified standard. Here are our top finds for new and upcoming Matter devices from the show floor.
ThirdReality expands with a new clock and Thread prototypes
ThirdReality continues to build out its portfolio of reliable smart home accessories with Matter. Their booth featured the new Smart Timer Light TL2, a versatile device that functions primarily as a digital clock with a crisp display. However, it is packed with hidden smarts, including built-in radar occupancy and illuminance sensors. This allows the device to act as a localized trigger for room automations while giving users the ability to set timers seamlessly.
It operates using Matter over Wi-Fi and promises a frustration-free setup experience for Alexa users, as the hardware utilizes native Amazon SDKs. While it features a night light function similar to the company’s previous socket-mounted smart night light, the TL2’s form factor is also perfect for countertop usage.
The company also demonstrated two brand-new Thread prototypes: a Matter over Thread US smart plug and a standard light bulb. This represents a significant forward movement since the firm released its popular light switch bot and the Thread version of its night light.
ThirdReality is clearly leaning heavily into the future of connectivity with Wi-Fi 6 and Thread-enabled Matter products. According to representatives at the booth, the Smart Timer Light TL2 will be available very soon, while the two new Thread additions are scheduled for later this year. We are likely to see the finalized, mature versions of these Thread devices at IFA 2026.
Lenovo makes a surprising entry into Matter
Notable PC and electronics maker Lenovo showcased a smart home solution at the exhibition, signaling a strong commitment to the connected home business. Their booth featured a wide range of hardware, from smart lights and switches to large display consoles.
The centerpiece of their strategy is a new smart hub that highlights both Matter and native Apple HomeKit capabilities. This suggests that Lenovo is adopting Matter via a Bridge as a shortcut. By utilizing a Matter bridge, they can seamlessly expose their entire proprietary ecosystem of child devices to Apple Home and other Matter-enabled platforms without needing to certify every single individual bulb or switch. This is a particularly interesting business expansion for Lenovo.
The addition of Matter bridge will help the company connect easily with the premium smart home market in China, specifically targeting Apple users with a single, officially certified hub.
Shelly refreshes its lineup
Shelly showcased its full product line at the exhibition, bringing several highly anticipated updates to the local market. First up is the new Shelly Flood S Gen4. The updated leak sensor features a much more compact design compared to the original Gen4 model, entirely removing the rope design for a cleaner installation.
Shelly Flood S Gen4
The biggest surprise at their booth was a brand-new DIY controller dubbed “The Pill by Shelly”, which displayed a Matter logo. This tiny but powerful controller is designed to source data from a variety of external inputs, such as DC monitors, environmental meters, and soil sensors. They have clearly found a way to get these complex, multi-variable sensors exposed to Matter dynamically. This will make the controller a fantastic, easy-to-use alternative for enthusiasts who currently rely on self-built ESPHome or Arduino devices for custom sensor integrations.
Additionally, two new smart bulbs and a China-standard Gen3 Matter plug appeared at the booth as fresh releases. It is great to see Shelly refreshing its essential categories with more options available for local markets. However, the team suggested that the new Gen3 bulbs may not actually support Matter at launch, which is slightly confusing given the firm’s stated strategy of bringing full Matter support to all Gen3 and Gen4 hardware.
Quiet shades from RezeFlow
Midea subsidiary RezeFlow (also known in some regions as RemacFlow) demonstrated its latest smart shades. The standout feature is the unique mechanical design of the main motor. It operates incredibly quietly, utilizing a custom speed curve that intentionally slows down the motor at the start and stop points for a more elegant move.
The company has built a companion app with a Matter controller built directly into the vendor app. This allows them to add advanced, proprietary features like adaptive shading that the Matter standard does not yet natively support, similar to the approach taken by Eve with its MotionBlinds.
The blinds can automatically adjust based on your geolocation, window facing position, outdoor illumination, and current weather conditions. The system can also learn from your regular manual control habits to create a more personalized automated schedule. The hardware runs on Wi-Fi and Matter, though it does require a hardwired connection for its power supply.
The persistence of KNX Matter bridges
The passion for Matter among professional installation providers has certainly not faded. Throughout the exhibition halls, we spotted numerous brands showing off live demos designed to bridge high-end KNX wiring systems directly to consumer Matter platforms.
One of the most notable brands pushing this integration is Bosch. They are following the distinct industry trend contributed by ABB’s acquisition of Eve Systems, which successfully created a seamless bridge for ABB’s KNX hardware to enter the modern Matter ecosystem. This bridging approach is crucial because it allows expensive, professionally installed home infrastructure to communicate effortlessly with off-the-shelf smart speakers and mobile apps.
Zemismart IR AC controller
Last year, we saw a rough prototype for Zemismart’s infrared air conditioning controller. At GILE 2026, the device is now fully mature and ready to ship to consumers.
The compact device works over Wi-Fi and native Matter, featuring an infrared blaster that can learn and control your existing “dumb” home air conditioner. Crucially, it exposes itself to your smart home network as a generic Matter Thermostat.
This allows you to control your basic AC unit directly through the Apple Home or Google Home interface with native climate controls. It serves as an excellent, cost-effective alternative to slightly more expensive multipurpose hubs like the Aqara Hub M200 or the SwitchBot Hub 2. If you only need to control a single air conditioner and do not want to pay for a fully packed hub device, this Zemismart controller is exactly what you need. Zemismart staff said the device would be available in the coming months.
*Note: The article was updated to clearify installation details of the Smart Timer Light TL2.
(Image: Matter Alpha/Ward Zhou)
