Apple put a Thread smart home radio in its newest Macs and iPads

When Apple announced the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max last fall, the company surprised everyone by putting a Thread radio in its top-of-the-line smartphones. Now it turns out that Apple has also quietly added this important smart home radio to several new Macs and iPads released since September 2023.

Although the company does not list Thread in the specifications of any of these products, FCC reports indicate that many of Apple’s latest devices have had Thread radios tested for compliance. Generally, you don’t test a radio that isn’t there.

We found evidence of Thread testing in the following models:

On the edge I contacted Apple to confirm these findings and ask if the Thread radios are inactive – which could explain why they are not listed in the product specifications. Apple did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

The FCC requires manufacturers to list all radios contained in a device and test them in all possible scenarios to ensure they comply with broadcasting regulations. Tom Sciorilli, director of certification at Topic groupcounted On the edge that the FCC reports reference FCC 15.247, “which confirms that the device will essentially ‘stay in its range’ and not interfere with other radios during operation.” The reports we found are tests of transmitter functionality IEEE 802.15.4 – 802.15.4 is the radio standard on which Thread runs. While it supports a number of technologies, reports explicitly mention Thread.

Thread is the core wireless protocol for the new Matter smart home standard, which Apple helped develop and which is now the underlying architecture for its Apple Home smart home platform. A low-power, low-bandwidth mesh networking protocol designed specifically for IoT devices, Thread is shown to be faster than Bluetooth and offers better range, making it ideal for connecting products like smart lights, locks, thermostats, and sensors.

So why is it there? The Apple Home app works on Macs and iPads, and Thread radios can allow them to communicate directly with smart home devices and act as Thread edge routers. It’s possible that Apple is planning to turn your Mac or iPad into a home hub, but iPads used to be home hubs and the company has discontinued that feature for its new Apple Home architecture. However, these iPads did not have Thread radios.

The announcement of the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max only briefly mentioned Thread radio, saying it was “opening up future opportunities for Home app integrations.” It seemed like maybe even Apple didn’t know exactly why it was there, which makes future-proofing the most obvious answer. Tri-band radio chips that include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Thread are becoming more popular (Silicon LaboratoriesNXP and Murata everyone does them), so it may have simply been easier to include Thread than not.

As an IP-based wireless protocol with low power consumption and low latency, Thread would also make a lot of sense outside the smart home. It can be used to connect peripherals like smart watches, medical and fitness devices, and even AirTags, keyboards, and mice to your computer, smartphone, or iPad.

Whatever these “future opportunities” may be, it seems clear that this wireless protocol that Apple is rolling out across all its devices will play a central role.