- Both iPhone 16 and 15 have Thread radios inside
- A director of Apple and president of Thread has explained why they are there
- The two main benefits are related to the preparation of the intelligent home for the future.
Apple has kept quite silent about the fact that its iPhone 16 and iPhone 15 series, along with many recent iPads and Macbooks, have Thread radios inside. But now one of its directors has explained why they are there and how they can soon boost their intelligent home plans.
What is the thread?
Thread is a wireless protocol designed specifically for the smart home. It is designed to complement Wi-Fi by offering a low consumption and low bandwidth form so that the devices communicate with each other.
In an interview with The Verge. First to adopt “build a matter. Smart home based on, and then gave two clear examples of how the incipient protocol can help.
“If we take a very early intelligent home user (someone who goes to Ikea, buys a bulb and a switch), what happens with those users is that they discover that they cannot perform automation. Then, Thread on mobile devices can allow that evolution. [to a border router]”Siddha said.
In other words, although it normally needs a concentrator to unlock powerful intelligent domestic functions, such as automation, having THREAD on your phone can act as the necessary glue for everyone to communicate with a border router (such as Apple TV, for example) . Because any device that Thread admits can act as an edge router, it is expected that you already have one somewhere in its configuration.
The other benefit of that Radio Thread within its 16 or 15 iPhone, according to Vividh Siddha, is that it can act as a useful support for energy cuts. “The other important factor is the possibility of using its accessories, and some important ones, such as the entrance door lock when there is an energy cut,” said Siddha.
“If you have no infrastructure (its Wi-Fi router is inactive, its router Thread Border is inactive) and still wants to be able to enter your home or do other things that could be related to the smart home. These are some cases of use that is Explicitly designed for that, but it is not limited to that, “Siddha added.
The issue remains a disaster, but there is hope
The problem with the Smart House and Matter (the standard that will supposedly make everything sing with the same score) is that it is still very messy and confusing. Unless you have a rating for network protocols, you probably don’t care thread, edge or matter rings; He just wants everything you buy to work immediately.
This is probably the reason why Apple has kept silent about Thread compatibility on its iPhone, iPad and Mac, because it is still early. But there is hope on the horizon, at least according to this interview.
Referring to the problems that have hindered Matter and Thread, Tobin Richardson (President and Executive Director of Connectivity Standards Alliance, or CSA) said: “2025 will be a really important year for Matter. We are not looking to add 100 new devices types this year. We are really looking for reliability and making sure things work.
Vividh Siddha, from Thread and Apple, agreed and added that “2025 is really fundamental for us to solve all those problems, so that all these experiences of products are more solid and reliable.”
So, although that perfect intelligent home experience that they have promised us for years may still be a bit far, at least you know that the last iPhones, along with other Apple devices such as the latest Apple TV and Homepods, will be prepared for the future and ready to function. Join the party when finally begins.
