Next Apple TV to boast swanky remote with touch controls

The previous Apple TV remote was sleek, simple and managed to give even a remote sex appeal. Now there are whispers online and from institutions like the New York Times, reporting that Apple will launch a new Apple TV complete with a larger, more advanced remote fairly soon.

A bit of a reverse on Apple‘s usual attempts to be thinner than any catwalk could imagine, it’s thicker; giving the user a better grip when in use. It’s also more difficult to lose.

It’s a refreshing backtrack when compared to Apple TV’s previous release, which clearly suggests that the company’s interested in improving usability.

Other whispers suggest a new touch pad feature, fitting right into the Apple family of touch-integration technology. The New York Times writes:

The touch pad can be used for scrolling around and there will also be two physical buttons, the person said. The remote’s thicker size is comparable to the remote control for Amazon’s wireless speaker, the Echo, the person added.

The new Apple TV is expected to debut in June — just in time for WWDC perhaps — but of course, only Apple has the juicy details. It is clear that Cupertino’s gunning even harder for the streaming media market, which the likes of Microsoft (with its Xbox One) has found to be a happy hunting ground.

Feature image: Ryuichi IKEDA via Flickr