Apple's little secret: Thread discovered in Macs and iPads
Thread has been in Apple mobile devices since the iPhone 15 Pro. Few knew that current iPads and Macs also support this wireless technology.
The new iPad Pro with M4 will also support Thread wireless technology.
(Image: Apple)
Apple has apparently tacitly equipped various new Mac and iPad models with the Thread smart home wireless technology. This is indicated by reports from the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the licensing authority that checks the wireless technology for conformity with applicable standards. Apple itself has not yet announced anything about this.
Following the HomePod 2, the HomePod mini and the latest Apple TV 4K with Ethernet connection, Apple integrated Thread into a mobile device for the first time in fall 2023 with the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max. Thread is a mesh technology that is particularly familiar to smart home users who use HomeKit. It is supported by the Matter smart home standard, which Apple helped to develop. Integration into the Pro models of the iPhone made it possible for the first time to directly address Thread-compatible devices in the smart home without the need for an intermediate hub.
A little secret in current devices
As The Verge reports, according to the FCC, Thread is also in the recently introduced new models of the iPad Pro with M4, in the iPad Air with M2, in the MacBook Air 15" with M3, which was released in spring, and in the new MacBook Pro 14" and 16" with M3, M3 Pro and M3 Max introduced at the end of October 2023. The new iMacs with M3 are also expected to support the wireless technology.
Apple itself did not respond to inquiries about the discovery. Some industry observers are already linking this little secret to rumors that Apple has big plans for its smart home functions. It is also conceivable that Apple could turn iPads back into home hubs and that Macs could also be used as control centers in the future. It is not unusual for Apple to start installing technology years in advance that will only play a role later. A prominent example is the ultrawideband chip U1, the benefits of which - for example for determining the position of other devices – only became apparent later.
Unspectacular reasons are also conceivable
Perhaps the reason for the installation is also completely unspectacular for now: newer wireless chips bundle various standards, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Thread. Apple may have been tempted to simply "take along" Thread and its potential for future functions.
However, Apple at least cannot avoid the FCC. It requires manufacturers to publicize wireless technology in devices and test it in various scenarios.
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(mki)