Google is set to release its next-gen Pixel phones on August 20, with Thread connectivity and potential Matter features planned.
Google is a major contributor and member of the Thread Group and the Connectivity Standards Alliance, the Matter backer. It has been dedicated to developing and helping to extend the usage of Thread and Matter. The adoption of the Thread radio in the Pixel series is an ongoing demonstration of the technology, which serves as a reference for other Android OEMs.
Thread radio in Pixels
There are six models certified by the FCC, with two models, GUL82 and GEHN3, equipped with Thread radio, suggesting the Pro models will have this feature.
Thread has been included in the Pixel 8 series, roughly a year after Apple first adopted it in the iPhone 15 Pro family in 2023. Until Android 15 was released in 2024, Google finally made the feature useful for users, with a toggle available in the settings. This allows your Pixel phone to connect with a Matter-over-Thread device directly without the requirement of a Thread Border Router (TBR), as Android Authority reported. A similar feature also came online for iOS 18 users at the same time.
It is similar to how Bluetooth smart gadgets work nowadays, with a phone connection but more efficient and universal. Thread adoption streamlines the user experience, letting your phone connect with a Matter and Thread device directly for better responsiveness. The feature also eliminates the need for a dedicated smart hub on some occasions. When you leave the space, all gadgets will be disconnected. It introduces more mobility for Matter and Thread, which would be useful for uses such as in a recreational vehicle.
More features on the way
There are two features we may expect soon on Android devices: credential sharing via ephemeral codes and Thread-only Matter device setup.
For the Android platform, Google has been working to implement Thread 1.4’s credential sharing features. Thread Group offered a demo to Matter Alpha at the Matter Open Day in June this year, where a Google TV streamer shared its Thread network with Google Home running on a Pixel phone. The sharing process is pretty straightforward: the TV box generates a QR code, and the phone then scans the code to add new Matter devices to the network.
Another feature we may see is Thread-only commissioning, which should work like Zigbee TouchLink. Since a peer-to-peer connection is already a feature in Thread, Matter could utilize it for device setup without Bluetooth, just like the new Wi-Fi-only commissioning feature introduced recently in Matter 1.4.2.
At the moment, the Thread radio in phones, tablets, and personal computers is still in an early phase of application. I would regard it as a good-to-have feature, considering it usually comes with high-priced devices on the market. With ongoing development in the technology itself and exploration of usage scenarios, other vendors may follow the lead. As I mentioned, the Pixel and Google TV streamers serve as reference designs. With this groundwork already laid, other vendors can more easily ship Android devices with a native Thread experience.
