This makes adding a Thread device – like a smart light, lock, or outlet – easier because you won’t need to buy an additional product just to use the one you purchased. (Although some features may be limited until you get a border router.)
Apple could consider bringing the iPad back into the Home hub fold
The iPad wouldn’t work as a Thread edge router, as they must be mains powered devices, but having a Thread radio in a mobile device allows direct control of Thread gadgets, improving reliability and speed. And, if you already have a Thread edge router but the power goes out, your iPad can step in to communicate with battery-powered Thread devices, such as smart locks.
Apple has used Thread in Apple Home for several years now, since the launch of the HomePod Mini in 2020. The protocol provides several benefits in the smart home, including reduced latency, lower power consumption, and more reliable local control. While there aren’t many Thread devices available yet, their numbers are growing.
The least likely – but most intriguing – possibility is that Apple is considering bringing the iPad back into the Home hub fold.
For years, any iPad could serve as an Apple Home hub, running automations and allowing remote control away from home. But when Apple introduced its new home architecture in 2022 as part of its transition to Matter, the iPad ultimately became obsolete 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 these more advanced features.
While we all await the arrival of Apple’s long-rumored HomePod smart display, bringing back the iPad as a home hub would be a welcome move. However, the Thread-enabled Home hub’s capabilities would be more useful on cheaper or more compact models, such as the iPad Mini — using a $1,000 iPad Pro M5 to run your smart home seems like overkill.
Another reason I’m intrigued to see the N1 coming in the iPad Pro is that it’s a safe bet we’ll soon see it in future products, such as the new Apple TV and the HomePod Mini 2. Alongside the upgraded processors, the addition of the N1 could give these two devices a big boost as smart home hubs by improving speed, responsiveness, and reliability.
