Apple TV

We’ve known for some time that after going years without an update, Apple had big plans for the next model of the Apple TV. While there have already been whisperings of plenty of changes, it seems the biggest change might be coming to the remote.

For the first time in a long time, a piece of Apple hardware — in this case the Apple TV’s remote — may be getting slightly larger in its newest incarnation. Of course there’s a good reason for this larger size: it’s necessary to accommodate a touchpad.

Previous versions of the Apple TV have used a remote paradigm that we all know well: buttons and a four-way directional control pad. While there will still be two physical buttons on the remote, the touchpad will be used for most of the navigation, an Apple employee who wished to remain anonymous told the New York Times. The remote will be roughly the same size as the Amazon Echo’s remote, according to the same source.