Recent iPads, MacBooks and iMacs contain Thread radio, reason unknown

Apple has equipped recent iPads, MacBooks and iMacs with a Thread radio for use with the Matter smart home standard, but the reason for this is unknown. Thread has been in the manufacturer's HomePod models for some time now.

This year's iPad models and last year's MacBooks and iMacs, among others, have the Thread radio on board, The Verge reports based on inspections by the FCC inspection body. The devices can send out IEEE 802.15.4 signals, the standard for Thread. The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max can do this as well, but no function is known for them either.

Apple probably wants to make devices future-proof with this, the site guesses. Thread is a network standard for Matter, a standard for connecting smart home equipment that Apple also supports. It is also in HomePod models. Smart home equipment can connect to a Thread router, which requires less energy than, for example, a connection via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.