Apple today released the fifth beta of tvOS 14.5, and there are some small but notable changes in the update found by MacRumors contributor Steve Moser. Apple is removing mentions of the "Siri Remote" and replacing them with "Apple TV Remote" across the operating system.
The Siri Remote has always been the Apple TV Remote in countries where Siri functionality is not available on the Apple TV, but now Apple is using the Apple TV Remote wording in countries where the remote was previously referred to as the Siri Remote.
This could be just a general cleanup of the language because there's no real need to refer to it as the Siri Remote anymore, but it does suggest that the next-generation Apple TV remote will not be called the Siri Remote and will have a simpler name.
Apple is rumored to be working on a new version of the Apple TV that's set to come out this year, and it will be accompanied by a refreshed remote control with Find My capabilities. Little else is known about the remote at this time.
tvOS 14.5 also renames the "Home Button" under the "Remotes and Devices" section to "TV Button," but the functionality is ultimately the same and can be set to go to the Apple TV app or the Home Screen. This too could be a tweak made for a future remote.
Earlier betas have introduced support for the latest PlayStation and Xbox controllers, plus frame rate options have been tweaked with Apple now offering 29.97Hz and 59.94Hz refresh rates instead of 30Hz/60Hz.
There's also an optional "Type to Siri" Accessibility feature that can be enabled, which mirrors the Type to Siri feature on iOS devices, a new option for choosing "Other Wireless Speakers" as the Default Audio Output, and tweaks to the Podcasts app to bring it in line with the changes introduced in iOS 14.5.
Really hoping for a hardware refresh. I am patiently waiting to replace two Rokus because $179 is just far too much to spend on a box that’s almost four years old.
Just another reason why I think an Apple TV in a soundbar form factor is coming. The "HomePod with a screen for FaceTime" rumors... them likely moving on from the Siri Remote form factor... both issues that could be solved by having a soundbar that incorporates the Apple TV hardware and a camera for using your TV to do FaceTime calls. The Siri functionality would also be handled by the soundbar. Just makes sense.
I don't know why Apple didn't make the Siri Remote have just one button -- to activate Siri and give a command. Maybe they were worried people wouldn't want to give up the familiar play and pause buttons.
Hey Siri, pause the video. One sec... I’m sorry, I can’t buy that video in the iTunes Store.
Just half an hour ago I asked Siri to play my recently added music on Apple Music. She answered me she can’t find it. Siri is a joke.
Amazon this week has introduced a new all-time low price on the 32GB Apple TV HD that comes bundled with the new Siri Remote. This accessory is now priced at $124.98, down from $149.00, beating the previous low price from August by about $5 and marking the best price of the year.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we...
Rumors that Apple intends to launch a new Apple TV have been around for some time, with the headlining feature being a more powerful processor for gaming and all-round performance benefits. However, alongside a new powerful chip, new evidence is pointing towards a possible new Apple TV remote also shipping alongside the TV set-top box.
According to a report from 9to5Mac, citing people...
Thursday April 22, 2021 3:48 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
The new Apple TV 4K unveiled this week ships with a redesigned Siri Remote with a physical clickpad, new power and mute buttons for a TV, and a repositioned Siri button, but there's another change that has gone less noticed.
According to Digital Trends, the new Siri Remote lacks an accelerometer and gyroscope, which allowed the original Siri Remote to function as a gaming controller. Apple...
Tuesday April 20, 2021 10:19 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple today announced the next-generation Apple TV 4K with a faster A12 chip and a completely redesigned Siri Remote pictured below.
The new Siri Remote is included with the new Apple TV 4K, and the Apple TV HD going forward. The new remote will also be sold separately for $59 and is compatible with the previous-generation Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD.
The all-new Siri Remote features a...
Wednesday April 7, 2021 10:02 am PDT by Juli Clover
Apple today seeded the seventh beta of an upcoming tvOS 14.5 update to developers for testing purposes, with the new beta software coming one week after Apple released the sixth tvOS 14.5 beta.
Designed for the fourth and fifth-generation Apple TV, the tvOS 14.5 developer beta can be downloaded onto the Apple TV via a profile that's installed...
Wednesday March 31, 2021 2:06 pm PDT by Juli Clover
The tvOS 14.5 beta that was released this morning includes a code change that references an Apple TV remote control that features a "Center Button," which is a description that does not fit the current Apple TV remote.
"Press the center button or the touch surface to continue," reads the tvOS 14.5 code, which was discovered by MacRumors contributor Steve Moser.
The remote for the fourth...
Tuesday August 17, 2021 12:34 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Apple today released a new firmware update for the Siri Remote designed for the new Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD models. The new firmware has an internal version number of 9M6772, while the prior firmware version was 9M6336. Note that this is not the firmware version that you see in the Apple TV Remote settings. There's no word on what's new with the Apple TV remote update, but it likely...
Apple has been promoting the new M1 iMac, M1 iPad Pro, and second-generation Apple TV 4K following their announcements, and Apple's vice president of product marketing for home and audio Tim Twerdahl today did an interview with MobileSyrup to discuss the revamped Apple TV 4K and the updated Siri Remote.
Prior to the release of the new Apple TV 4K, there were rumors that the updated remote...
The M2 MacBook Pro has started making its way into customers' hands and we're learning more about how it performs in a variety of situations, but all eyes are really on the upcoming M2 MacBook Air which has seen a complete redesign and should be arriving in a couple of weeks.
Other top stories this week included a host of product rumors including additional M2 and even M3 Macs, an updated...
Apple today began selling refurbished Mac Studio models for the first time in the United States, Canada, and select European countries, such as Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. In the United States, two refurbished Mac Studio configurations are currently available, including one with the M1 Max chip (10-core CPU and 24-core GPU) for...
While past rumors have indicated the upcoming second-generation AirPods Pro will feature a built-in heart rate and body temperature sensor, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has cast doubt on those rumors turning out to be true, saying instead such a feature is unlikely to come anytime soon.
"Over the past few months, there have been rumors about this year's model gaining the ability to determine a...
Apple is working on an Apple Watch Series 8 model with a larger display, according to DSCC's Ross Young and Haitong International Securities's Jeff Pu.
In October last year, Young suggested that the Apple Watch Series 8 could come in three display sizes. Now, responding to a query about the rumor on Twitter, Young claims that the additional display size joining the Apple Watch lineup will be ...
The redesigned MacBook Air with the all-new M2 Apple silicon chip will be available for customers starting Friday, July 15, MacRumors has learned from a retail source. The new MacBook Air was announced and previewed during WWDC earlier this month, with Apple stating availability will begin in July. The MacBook Air features a redesigned body that is thinner and lighter than the previous...
Apple on May 16 released iOS 15.5 and iPadOS 15.5, bringing improvements for Podcasts and Apple Cash, the ability to see Wi-Fi signal of HomePods, dozens of security fixes, and more.
Top Rated Comments
One sec...
I’m sorry, I can’t buy that video in the iTunes Store.
Just half an hour ago I asked Siri to play my recently added music on Apple Music. She answered me she can’t find it. Siri is a joke.