Apple unveiled the new Apple TV during its Special Event Wednesday, which includes a new remote to control the streaming platform's new hardware and operating system.
The new Apple TV will come with a glass touchscreen remote that allows you to swipe across apps in the new interface. You can use the remote to go through apps and entertainment titles one-by-one, or do one big swipe to move all the way across the screen. The remote follows your movements so closely that it'll even detect where your thumb is as you remain on one title. This touchscreen functionality additionally allows you to fast-forward through a movie or TV show that you're watching.
Also on the remote is a new button to hold down and access Siri, just as you normally would on a mobile iOS device. You can use Siri to search across apps such as iTunes, Netflix and Hulu for various movie and TV show titles. All of your results will then be displayed on a single screen — complete with all of the apps in which you can find them. Siri can be used to find titles by genres, stars or even specific details, like a TV episode featuring a particular guest star. You can also use Siri to filter through these initial search results.
Similar to the touchscreen remote, Siri can be used to fast-forward or rewind through a movie or TV show. You can even ask Siri what was just said onscreen, and have it rewind with temporary closed captioning so you can catch exactly what you missed.
Siri can also be used to get information about the title you're currently watching, which will be displayed at the bottom of the screen, so as to not interrupt your viewing. You can still ask Siri about the information you would normally want from it – such as sports scores and the weather – which will also not interrupt whatever you're watching.
Getting down to the tech specs of the remote, it will feature built-in Bluetooth 4.0, volume control, an accelerometer and gyroscope. The remote also lasts for up to three months per charge and has a lightning connector for when you do need to charge it.
The new Apple TV, which includes the set-top box and remote, will retail for $149 for 32 GB and $199 for 64 GB and will be available in late October.
Check here for more news from Apple's September announcements.
