Today, Apple announced that its new Apple TV will include a new remote that should soothe users who’ve grown frustrated with the old swipe-based model. While that’s a welcome development, Apple is also making the remote available for standalone purchase. It’s also backward-compatible for at least some older Apple TV models.
While the older model of remote works well in many respects, its swipe-based navigation made it unreliable as a controller. Sometimes the remote would be too sensitive or not sensitive enough, and fast-forwarding or rewinding were a minor disaster. It was often simpler to use Siri to ask the remote to go “back 8 seconds.” But if Siri didn’t catch your whole instruction, it might pull up a screen recommending the 1994 Luke Perry bull-riding movie, “8 Seconds.”
The new remote features a circular wheel reminiscent of old iPods that will allow you to jog forward or backward in a scene. The Siri button has been moved to the side, and the new remote features a power button to turn off your TV, along with a sorely needed mute button.
What’s curious is that the new remote doesn’t work with Find My - the application Apple users can use to track down lost devices. Even more curious, today’s Apple event featured the launch of AirTags - small devices that can allow you to track down anything from car keys to your child’s favorite stuffed animal. If you’ve ever held one of the ultra-light, tiny Apple TV remotes, you know how easy they are to lose. It’s almost like Apple engineers measured the space between your couch cushions and designed a remote specifically to gravitate toward that space. We do hope Apple adds Find My capability to their next version of the remote.
The new remote is compatible with the following models:
- Apple TV 4K (2nd generation)
- Apple TV 4K (1st generation)
- Apple TV HD
The new remote is $59. You can order it starting April 30, with expected availability in the second half of May. If you choose to get an entirely new Apple TV, the 32GB version is $179, while the 64GB version is $199. We covered the new features here.