Function101 Offering Alternative Apple TV Remote Control for $30 - MacRumors
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Function101 Offering Alternative Apple TV Remote Control for $30

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Apple unveiled its ‌Siri‌ (or ‌Apple TV‌) Remote with touch surface in 2015 alongside the fourth-generation ‌Apple TV‌, and it's never been a particularly popular accessory.

101 Function Feature
Last year we saw Swiss telco Salt launch an alternative remote control for the Apple TV 4K set-top boxes that it includes in its domestic broadband TV bundle, and yesterday AppleInsider surfaced another potential alternative for anyone frustrated with Apple's native Remote.

Function101's "Button Remote for Apple TV" costs $30 and looks very similar to the Swiss model, but this one will be available in the U.S. later this month, providing another option for anyone watching one of the Salt models on eBay, where they sell at a hefty premium.

The Button Remote includes directional arrows in place of the Siri Remote's glass Touch surface, a power button in addition to a Menu button, along with separate volume and channel rockers and traditional media playback buttons. There's no Siri button included, however.

If that omission is a deal breaker but you can't live with Apple's own remote, you could always control your Apple TV using an iPhone or via your Apple Watch.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)
Related Forum: Apple TV and Home Theater

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Top Rated Comments

M
mozumder
76 months ago
The Apple TV remote is honestly the worst invention Apple invented. Seriously bad user experience design. Too much overthinking, not enough practicality.

Hey Apple: Buttons were invented for a reason. USE THEM.

Also, the first immediate problem is the lack of any directionality in the ergonomics. You NEVER know if you're holding it upside down or not, until you actually look at it, because physically, it's just a flat rectangle.

A good remote should be able to let you know what you're doing with it without even looking at it.
Score: 40 Votes (Like | Disagree)
M
mikegoldnj
76 months ago
Seems like this is only IR control. That’s a deal breaker for me since my AppleTV is hidden behind my television.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vidjahgamz Avatar
vidjahgamz
76 months ago
Well folks -- this may be an instant purchase for me. Great alternative for when my Apple TV remote drives me up a wall.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
K
Kornbeef24
76 months ago
Useless without a CC button. It'd spend good money on a CC button, wife loves them and I can't stand them. Constantly getting toggled.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
J
Joak1mA
76 months ago
This seems to be just the right occasion to say that I totally love the Siri Remote... :)
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
C
ChromeAce
76 months ago
OR you could just do what every power user does... add the TV device control into your existing Logitech Harmony universal remote and customize any button you like.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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