Meross, a renowned name in the smart home industry and one of the first to declare a Matter compatible smart plug, has introduced an enhanced model for the North American market. This news comes nearly a year following the release of their initial model.

From the images above, the prominent disparity is the exterior design. The earlier model could not accommodate two plugs simultaneously in a double wall socket, which was surprising since Meross previously had a model like the 'Mini' above. The upgraded model has adopted that sleeker design while replacing the LED power button with a simpler, unlit one. However, the lack of Thread support might impact its appeal in the smart home device market. It's worth mentioning another company, Linkind, who already have a Matter over WiFi smart plug and also offer smart bulbs and more.

The internal features have been updated as well and the product now supports energy monitoring. Despite this feature not being currently supported in Matter, Meross app users can still view these details. Meross has also assured users that once the feature becomes a part of the Matter 1.3 specification, they will update their product. While this evolved model addresses complaints regarding the original’s bulkiness, customers are still waiting for Meross to support Thread, something Onvis has already done with their smart plug models for the EU, UK, and the US.

More information on the new Meross Smart Plug Mini is available on Meross' official website. It is expected to become available soon in Meross's online store and to follow shortly on Amazon.com.