Apple is always on the move with innovations and technology, and you can bet that they bring in quality products with top-of-the-line features. An Apple product that rolled out recently which is both beautiful in design and practical in use is the new Apple TV remote.
For a TV as big (in size and power) as the Apple TV, it will need a remote control that is just as fascinating. Personally, I don’t understand why they ditch the physical remote and continue to update and better the app instead.
The Apple TV remote design
The new Apple TV remote is a very slim and compact piece of equipment. It’s just under 5 inches long (4.88 in exactly), less than 2 inches wide (1.5 inches exactly), and has a thickness of a quarter of an inch (0.25 inches exactly).
You can think of the remote as three different sections. On the top third of the remote is a touchscreen trackpad to navigate through the Apple TV. There are 6 buttons in the center (menu, home, voice recognition, play/pause, volume up/down), each of them identical in size with the exception of the volume up and down keys being joined together.
The remote is made of black aluminum and glass, an interesting combination of durability and fragility.
The device fits easily in every hand, but it isn’t the most comfortable feel. The design isn’t ergonomic at all, and there’s no way to tell which way to hold it without actually looking at the face of the remote. In your hand, it feels like a small, thin bar of chocolate. Unlike most other remotes, it’s incredibly hard to tell at an instant which way should be pointing forward because of its symmetrical design. Visually, it looks incredibly clean and sleek, but for that it sacrifices comfort and practicality.
How to use the remote
Touchscreen Track Pad: The trackpad has a lot of functions, but the most basic is its ability to scroll around and find your way around the Apple TV. When you select something, just tap on the touchscreen. Try to resist the urge to press the menu button, this will take you backwards.
When watching a video, swipe down and the TV will bring up a menu showing options such as enabling subtitles or selecting a new external audio output device.
During audio playback, tap and hold the right side of the trackpad to fast-forward or the left side to rewind. You can also double tap the left side to play the previous track.
For videos, you can fast forward or rewind by sliding your finger across the trackpad toward the left or the right. You can also touch and briefly hold the left or right edge of the touchpad to jump 10 seconds forward or backward.
The sensitivity of the trackpad can be changed to move faster or slower. Just go to Settings > Remotes and Devices > Touch Surface Tracking.
Home Button: The home button is labeled by with a TV screen icon. Press this to go back to the home screen, no matter where you are.
You can also double-press to open the app switcher and move between other running applications.
Holding this button will give you the option to put your Apple TV in sleep mode.
Voice Recognition: This button is what enables Siri. Press and hold and voice your command. If you’re wondering what can Siri do, you’re in for a treat as she’ll help you a lot.
Volume Up/Down: This is self-explanatory; turns up the volume or lowers it.
Play/Pause: Besides its obvious pause and play functions, you can also use this button to
switch between upper and lowercase on the keyboard.
Additionally, you can also use this button to confirm a deletion of an app on the home screen. Simply press this button after long-pressing an app icon.
Lastly, if you hold this button for seven seconds, it will bring you to the Apple Music app.
Final thoughts
The new Apple TV remote is a product that looks better than it is. I understand that Apple is reaching for simplicity in this design, but I personally would have separate buttons for separate functions, instead of trying to figure out that holding, double tapping, or some other combination of actions would process a hidden command.
On top of that, the design looks great, but it doesn’t feel amazing in any way. Sure, it’s unobtrusive, but nobody complains that an average remote is bulky or heavy. Why change something that’s already fine?
The new Apple TV remote is great for its simplicity, but not the best at what it’s for.