The iPad just got the chip it needs to be a smart home controller — again
Apple’s new M5-powered iPad Pro is the first iPad to officially support the Thread smart home protocol. It comes with Apple’s new N1 wireless networking chip, which adds Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread — the three wireless protocols the Matter smart home standard runs on.
While other iPads and Macs reportedly have Thread radios, this is the first model launching with the protocol publicly listed in the specs, and it could lay the groundwork for the iPad to be a Home hub — again.
So, what does this mean? Well, not much right away. Just as the answer to why Apple added Thread to iPhones starting with the iPhone 15 Pro wasn’t immediately clear, the company also hasn’t said why it’s on the new iPad.
The most likely scenario is that, as eventually emerged with Thread-enabled iPhones, you’ll be able to use the iPad Pro to set up a Thread smart home device in your home, even if you don’t have a Thread border router.
This makes adding a Thread device — like a smart light, lock, or plug — easier as you won’t need to go buy an extra product just to use the one you bought. (Although some functionality may be limited until you get a border router.)
Apple could be considering bringing the iPad back into the Home hub fold
The iPad wouldn’t work as a Thread border router, as they need to be mains-powered devices, but having a Thread radio in a mobile device does allow for direct control of Thread gadgets, improving reliability and speed. And, if you already have a Thread border router but the power goes out, your iPad can step in to talk to battery-powered Thread devices such as smart locks.
Apple has been using Thread in Apple Home for several years now, since the launch of the HomePod Mini in 2020. The protocol offers several benefits in the smart home, including reduced latency, lower power use, and more reliable local control. While there aren’t many Thread devices available yet, the number is growing.
The less likely — but more intriguing — possibility is that Apple could be considering bringing the iPad back into the Home hub fold.
For years, any iPad could serve as an Apple Home hub, running automations and enabling remote control away from home. But when Apple introduced its new Home Architecture in 2022 as part of its transition to Matter, the iPad was eventually deprecated as a hub. While you can still control devices and create automations on an iPad with the Home app, you now need a separate hub, such as an Apple TV or HomePod Mini, for those more advanced features.
While we’re all waiting for Apple’s long-rumored HomePod smart display to arrive, bringing back the iPad as a Home hub would be a welcome move. However, Thread-enabled Home hub capabilities would be more useful on lower-cost models or more compact ones, such as the iPad Mini — using a $1,000 M5 iPad Pro to run your smart home feels like overkill.
Another reason I’m intrigued to see the N1 arrive in the iPad Pro is that it feels like a safe bet that we’ll see it again soon in future products, such as the rumored new Apple TV and HomePod Mini 2. Alongside upgraded processors, the N1 addition could give both those devices a big boost as smart home hubs by improving speed, responsiveness, and reliability.
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