Hands-On With Salt's Apple TV Remote Replacement

[chublet]

Do people really use Siri? I don't think I have ever had it recognise anything I have said, whereas Alexa gets it right pretty much all of the time.

The current Apple remote is a weak link in a very good system, I love my Apple TV and use it every day, but the remote is useless

 

[Braderunner]

I would definitely get this if it was available in the U.S. I could leave the Siri remote on the end table, or, just use the app. But, this remote would be a huge upgrade.
Hopefully, this becomes available in the U.S., or, Apple updates the current remote with one they should have already made.

 

[compwiz1202]

Everyone needs to go "home" at some point.

However i dispute the fact this bigger remote is better, because it you don't loose the Siri remote, then the view changes.

In fact,anything 'smaller in size' can be used as "I loose it" when in reality it's just "putting it down, and dunno where it was prior"

I finally learned holding MENU on my Harmony went home. Just don't have the sleep functionality.

 

[lkrupp]

I'm with you dude. I HATE the Apple TV Remote. After going all-in on Apple, by far the Apple TV Remote is Apple's WORST product. I have other "issues" with the Apple TV, but it all starts with the remote.

Just get a Firestick or Roku and be happy. You hate the remote and you have issues with the Apple TV so why do you still have/use it. I don’t understand.

 

[compwiz1202]

I was super excited about this until I saw the limitations.

Why can’t somebody just make a version of this that still has a microphone with Siri and the normal Home button?

Why can’t frickin’ Apple just do this?

God this company is so bloody annoying.
Get over yourselves and make some stuff that is actually well designed for human usability.

The main thing that pees me off is they make a remote that can be eaten by the couch or whatever furniture with no Find My Remote. Boxes half the price with bigger remotes have the functionality.

 

[PickUrPoison]

When the SALT remote was announced a few weeks ago, @ActionableMango found this Apple TV compatible remote. It can control TV and AV receiver/sound bars too. It’s $24.99 at Walmart and Best Buy.

Streamer Remote

Control your Streaming box, TV and Audio. The only real replacement remote for your Streaming Device with the extra of functionality you always missed with your original remote.

www.oneforall.us

 

[S.B.G]

I love my 4K ATV. But I've hated the remote since day one.

Can the older aluminum remote be used with the newer ATV's?

 

[4a6d65]

I know I'm in the minority with this but I really do like the Apple TV remote.

 

[compwiz1202]

It’s all I use as well.

Yea I was so upset when something with a beta freaked out the remote app, and the real remote was somewhere eaten by furniture. At least that made us finally upturn all the furniture and find it

 

[MarkAtl]

I got the side click when it was on sale. good enough...

 

[J___o___h___n]

I like this. If one appears on eBay, I’m buying one.
It’s almost perfect. Just needs the Siri button, a the tv/home button and maybe light-up buttons.

 

[yojason]

I’d like it to have Siri, but I’d buy it without if that’s the only choice. Siri remote is too small, and Logitech is unbalanced.
I would love it to have volume buttons on the side from the iPhone 4/5/SE and a mute switch, please.

 

[Boatboy24]

My Logitech Harmony universal works just fine with the AppleTV. But I do find myself reaching for the Apple remote from time to time. Interestingly, the kids almost always go for the Apple remote. This one could be nice if it could integrate Siri.

 

[ActionableMango]

Everyone needs to go "home" at some point.

A home button as well. Some of us use the home button to turn off our systems. Makes it easier than having to use multiple remotes to turn of the tv, sound bar, and put the Apple TV to sleep.

No Siri and no Home button aren't product killers for me, although I'd miss them some. If it was available here in the US for $20 I'd pick one up to try it as I too hate the current AppleTV remote.

OneForAll Streamer Remote is ATV compatible, has a Home button, and is available in the US.

Streamer Remote

Control your Streaming box, TV and Audio. The only real replacement remote for your Streaming Device with the extra of functionality you always missed with your original remote.

www.oneforall.us

 

[DotCom2]

Although I HATE the Apple remote, the lack of Siri on this is an instant NO BUY for me.
I use Siri all the time to ask, "What did he/she say", and the Apple TV not only repeats what they said, but shows the text of what was said on the screen. I absolutely love this feature.

 

[arnoz]

Those of you saying it’s crap because it doesn’t support Siri: you don’t realise how Siri on ATV is only available in a few English speaking countries only.
Now, I’ve been to a few Salt stores in Switzerland since mid December, and they’re all always out of stock 🤔

 

[D.T.]

- Even the latest iteration of the remote (which I have) is way too easy to grab and attempt to use upside-down.

I'd highly recommend a case, there's dozens of options, the Fintie on Amazon, several colors, $6.99, 4.7/5 reviews, is excellent and solves the orientation issue.

It also makes it much easier to hold, it makes it way less prone to slipping between cushions, depending on the color (there's bright options, translucent, GITD), it can also make it much easier to spot (especially in a room with low[er] lighting).

 

[BarrettF77]

I'm really underwhelmed again at the take on what one of the writers for Macrumors broadcasts as his opinion and how awful it is.

What is awful is the lack of unbiased reporting or letting MacRumors users come to their own conclusions. This review is whiney and I for one actually like the simplicity of the remote and compact size, something that remote ins't going to do.

That remote looks like a Roku. Perhaps you should get one of those? Apple hardly does a lot right now days, but this is one of the devices I haven't really had much issue with.

 

[AppleFan1179]

The AppleTV remote is probably the biggest design mistake the company has made, even more so than the butterfly keyboard and the trashcan Mac Pro. And that's because a remote is SO ****ING SIMPLE to get right, and they just ****ing blew it. It's complete and utter trash. Just the fact that it's basically unusable in the dark... It's one of those moments you ask yourself "Did Apple even test this ****?"

 

[hipnetic]

No voice control? So there's really nothing about it that makes it particularly special in terms of Apple TV usage?

You may as well review any other number of universal remotes that could be used with the Apple TV.

 

[TBeckner]

I had no idea there was so much hate for the normal remote.

Actually, I would not define it as pure hate, just a horrible design that started way back with Apple TV 2 and has gotten worst with 3, 4, and 5, although they tried to fix the identification of how the remote was positioned with 5 by placing an easier to see white ring around the Home button, but that was an easy minor fix.

I am a remote control purist and I have had a huge number of remote controls over the years and have finally settled on the Logitech Harmony Elite package, which actually uses the Logitech Harmony 950 remote control, which at $249.99 is expensive, the Elite package is even more expensive at 349.99, which includes the Hub.

Apple should be ashamed of the remote control for the Apple TV, because it almost pushed me towards the underpowered Amazon Fire TV 4K which has a performance problem because of the lack of memory, but it’s remote control is miles ahead of Apple’s, and in fact before the Harmony Elite I almost switched to the Fire TV as my main streaming device.

I do find myself wondering like others, if people who design hardware and software really use the hardware and software every day, and it seems to me that they don’t, or they don’t have enough experience or knowledge to be making decisions about the design of software or hardware.

Hey Apple, how about you design and build hardware and software that is highly functional instead of just pretty and shiny.

People do use this junk after they buy it.

 

[Westside guy]

... it makes it way less prone to slipping between cushions

Haha, I guess I’m not the only one who’s had that happen then! But, to be fair, even big clunky remotes seem to find their way between the couch cushions at my house.

 

[Onelifenofear]

I'm with you dude. I HATE the Apple TV Remote. After going all-in on Apple, by far the Apple TV Remote is Apple's WORST product. I have other "issues" with the Apple TV, but it all starts with the remote.

I mainly use my iPhone Apple TV remote though the control panel icon. Actually responsive and works the way you expect plus you get the keyboard and Siri if you want.

I also have the harmony Companion remote which is awesome... and sometimes pops up on amazon for £60 CamelCamelCamel

 

[albeik]

The only time I use swipe on the remote if I need to go navigate far in a list. Most of the time I tap (left, top, right, bottom) of the touch surface — which is fast enough for my needs.

Besides that, I tend to use the Remote app on my iPhone most of the time since the phone is with me all the time. The swiss remote is kinda... ugly and too big.

 

[HudsonSteele]

For the love, please let Apple take a cue from this! Their remote really is a drag to use. I know there's no Siri but it's also not available here in America so that's a mute point for now. Currently, I set up a universal remote to work like this one. In fact, I hate the Apple remote so much that when my kids lost it recently, I haven't bothered to find it.