New 4K Apple TV Could Feature Revamped Siri Remote With Haptic Feedback

[Feenician]

I like my Apple TV but the remote is easily the worst thing about it and the ultimate example of something Steve would hate if he were still with us. It's such a poor design, incredibly unintuitive. Let's hope they got it right with the new one.

We're cord cutters and get all our TV though two Apple TVs and love them for the most part. That remote is an utter disgrace to UX though. There's basically nothing right about it.

1) Nearly impossible to tell which way it's facing without looking. Check
2) Horribly sensitive* touchpad that you're constantly touching unintentionally because of 1). Check
3) *actually only in some apps. In others it's like wrestling a bear. (I'm looking at you, Playstation Vue). Check
4) The perfect size for falling in the cracks of a couch. Check

It's horrible in every aspect.

 

[AngerDanger]

Developer Guilherme Rambo dug into leaked golden master software that was released over the weekend and found "actuator calibration" and "force calibration" references, suggesting haptic feedback for the remote.

The Guilherme Rambo Workflow:

1. Find a bunch firmware information.

2. Release one piece of information.

3. Wait for interest to die down.

4. Goto 2.

 

[Rigby]

Haptic feedback would be great, but it's even more important that the device allow third-party remotes to control every aspect of the Apple TV. Many, many ATV users use universal remotes, and this is probably even more true for those who would buy a 4K device.

That will always be a second-rate experience on the ATV4/5, since its UI is designed with the touchpad in mind.

 

[MrGimper]

Me too but I've notice the apps on the Xbox just kind of suck..Netflix last i checked did not offer Dolby vision for its movies that have it..my LG OLED TV Netflix and amazon app has been great! Here's to hoping Apple TV 4k will be the device It should have been two years ago! and SPECTRUM CABLE PLEASE CREATE A GREAT APP FOR THE APPLE TV!

Just waiting for my Scorpio on 9th November ..... Can't wait

 

[Braderunner]

If the Apple TV remote gets redesigned, it has to be better. If it's worse, we know Apple has been working really, really, really hard.

 

[Jakexb]

The idea of a "TV" button, when the whole thing is called Apple TV is pretty weird. It seems like a "home" button, except the "menu" button is more of a home button, but it's also kind of a back button.

They redeemed the "TV" button a bit when they released the "TV" app, but it's still not super clear.

 

[BWhaler]

Great news. The current AppleTV remote is terrible on the usability front. It represents a lot of what is wrong with Jonny Ive's design team and what is missing now that Steve is gone. Minimalism is great...but not at the cost of usability, Makes me wonder if anyone really USES some of the products...not just study them...

 

[natepaschall]

Apple TV is nice (I have current generation), but the current Apple Remote is the worst piece of hardware ever put out by Apple.

It is too small, hard to hold, easy to hit the wrong button, hard to find in the dark (actually, impossible). The touch panel is poorly designed to go to the edge, creates so many inadvertent touches its insane. They need to redesign with a bezel around the touch panel.

Really, I would way rather have the touch wheel than this terrible remote.

 

[Juicy Box]

Apple is planning to introduce a new 4K-compatible Apple TV at tomorrow's event, and the revamped fifth-generation set-top box could also include a redesigned Siri Remote that features haptic feedback.

I am still waiting for the revolutionary experience of the ATV4 that Apple promised.

 

[BruiserBear]

The complaints about the remote are amusing. Some people calling it too complex, some calling it too minimalist. lol

I have few complaints about the current remote, but I will say I'm going to laugh if Apple tries to charge more than $150 for this new Apple TV model because of "haptics".

 

[Jakewilk]

Oh my gosh, literally EVERYTHING is getting leaked

 

[gnipgnop]

hard to find in the dark (actually, impossible).

Solution: turn the TV on.

 

[McTool]

Haptic feedback would be great, but it's even more important that the device allow third-party remotes to control every aspect of the Apple TV. Many, many ATV users use universal remotes, and this is probably even more true for those who would buy a 4K device.

Works fine with my Logitech Harmony remote.
So does my Samsung tv, Yamaha soundbar and my providers set up box.

 

[jase1125]

All I know is the current remote is an utter piece of junk. Whoever thought adding a trackpad was a good idea needs to be taken outside and beat with a bull whip. The simple Fire TV remote is so much better. The Apple TV remote caused enough issues with usability for my wife/kids that I replaced it with a Fire TV. I used it primarily as my set top box for HBO, DirecTVNow, etc. No Amazon video has been an annoyance, but now I'm done. The new one will have to be game changing and not iterative of the current one.

 

[emoore]

I really hope they find whoever leaked those GMs. Find them and treat their leaking faces to a very severe lawsuit.

So angry about something that really doesn't mean anything. You really think they are going to spend the money to try to prosecute someone over a leak?

 

[mmm1345]

I gave up with Apple TV. The only Apple product I hate, it's pathetic and the apps suck on it. I use Nvidia Shield and it is LOADS better.

You are kidding right? I have an Nvidia Shield. Besides the fact that my Xfinity service doesn't work well with it. Almost no premium apps are supported. The apps that I can access are horrible. Most of them have interfaces that look like they were designed 5 or 10 years ago.

 

[Juicy Box]

Please oh please, let someone with some design sense come up with the new one. I don't want a metal stick that has no external markings at all, and you have to "use the force" to get anything to happen.

I can think of a few other issues I'd fix with remote before I thought "this thing needs haptics" so hopefully that means we do get a revamped design with fixes for its ridiculous symmetry and sensitivity.

I remember when Steve introduced the first Apple Remote and marveled at how simple it was. The newer ones are feature creeping their way to overly complex.

Apple TV is nice (I have current generation), but the current Apple Remote is the worst piece of hardware ever put out by Apple.

It is too small, hard to hold, easy to hit the wrong button, hard to find in the dark (actually, impossible). The touch panel is poorly designed to go to the edge, creates so many inadvertent touches its insane. They need to redesign with a bezel around the touch panel.

Really, I would way rather have the touch wheel than this terrible remote.

I just wish the ATV4/5 had simple D-pad. I like having Siri on the remote, but I really dislike the touch pad. It does not always go the direction that is intended, and sometimes shoots past were it is supposed to stop.

Playing games with directional control, such as SongPop is very hard on the Siri Remote. Swiping up doesn't go up all the time.

Sometimes there is swipe-lag, although not as bad is it was a few updates ago.

When Siri doesn't work, and you have to search manually, the swiping is a pita. This goes for typing in passwords too.

 

[maxfromdenmark]

Can't wait to buy AppleTV 4K but the biggest question is: can AirPlay 2 handle 4K resolution?

 

[betabeta]

I don’t really want a better remote, I really want the Apple TV menus mirrored on my iPad, I hate reading off the TV.

Would be so easy to use my iPad or iPhone as a navigation for the TV, not just a remote to use on the screen, but actually see and navigate the user interface on my device.

 

[Juicy Box]

That will always be a second-rate experience on the ATV4/5, since its UI is designed with the touchpad in mind.

One could argue that the experience is second-rate with the touchpad that the UI was designed for.

 

[Asarien]

The Siri Remote's symmetric design is very frustrating. I regularly have to look at it or feel around it's surface in order to hold it in the right direction.

 

[ThisBougieLife]

Anything's better than the current remote.

 

[Asarien]

I remember when Steve introduced the first Apple Remote and marveled at how simple it was. The newer ones are feature creeping their way to overly complex.

Not even close. Have you used a modern DVR remote?
[doublepost=1505153366][/doublepost]

First time I have said this.

"SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY".

Quick edit -

Apple are going to get ALL my money this Autumn. New TV, new iPhone, new Apple Watch, new iPad, new iMac.

I will be begging and crying at Tims feet for financial mercy.

That's a shame. No one should ever feel this way towards any mega corporation.

 

[gnipgnop]

I have few complaints about the current remote, but I will say I'm going to laugh if Apple tries to charge more than $150 for this new Apple TV model because of "haptics".

Seems likely that they've been producing haptic oriented hardware long enough now that it won't be cost-prohibitive to add that functionality to the ATV remote. I think people will be happy with it if it's closer to the Magic Trackpad in terms of the scrolling/clicking feel.

 

[WestonHarvey1]

We're cord cutters and get all our TV though two Apple TVs and love them for the most part. That remote is an utter disgrace to UX though. There's basically nothing right about it.

1) Nearly impossible to tell which way it's facing without looking. Check
2) Horribly sensitive* touchpad that you're constantly touching unintentionally because of 1). Check
3) *actually only in some apps. In others it's like wrestling a bear. (I'm looking at you, Playstation Vue). Check
4) The perfect size for falling in the cracks of a couch. Check

It's horrible in every aspect.

Playstation Vue is hilarious. That's its own disaster of an interface all by itself. I really love trying to scroll through the guide during peak times when my network slows down. You have to wait for the next segment of the guide to load, but there's a timeout on the guide that makes it fade away while its loading.