Apple
- Apple is launching a redesigned remote with its new Apple TV 4K.
- The new remote will have a click-wheel design reminiscent of early iPods.
- The previous remote has been frustrating users for years because of its imprecise touchpad design.
- See more stories on Insider's business page.
Apple is finally nixing the Apple TV remote design that users have bashed for years.
During its "Spring Loaded" event on Tuesday, Apple unveiled the next generation Apple TV 4K, which comes with a brand-new remote. The recycled aluminum remote features a new click-wheel design reminiscent of early iPods, a mute button, and the ability to turn your TV on and off with a new power button.
Perhaps most importantly, it eliminates the touchpad design that was the hallmark of the previous Apple TV remote. When Apple launched its fourth-generation Apple TV in October 2015, it also launched a new "Siri remote." Rather than the simple design of the original remote, Apple opted for a touchpad that takes up roughly the top third of the remote.
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The design has frustrated users since it launched – customers and critics complained that it made the TV menu more difficult to navigate and was less precise. Insider's Dave Smith described the remote in 2016 as "the worst part of the new Apple TV."
With its click-wheel functionality, the new remote will likely eliminate many of the issues that have stymied users for the past five years.
The new Apple TV 4K and remote will be available to order starting on April 30. The device will go on sale in the second half of May.