Apple TV Remote To Come With iPhone-Style Taptic Engine For Touch-Based Feedback?

It appears Apple did not only revamp the Apple TV set-top box, but also its remote control. New information about the device surfaced online ahead of Apple’s scheduled Sept. 12 press event. Based on the uncovered codes, the new remote control could feature haptic feedback.

Developer Guilherme Rambo took to social media over the weekend to share what he found after examining the leaked tvOS 11 firmware. He apparently made an interesting discovery when he stumbled upon references to “actuator calibration,” “force calibration” and “Vibe Waveforms.” All three suggest that the next-generation Apple TV’s remote will come with haptic feedback.

Upon learning about Rambo’s discovery, MacRumors surmised that the new Siri Remote could come equipped with an iPhone-style Taptic Engine that would provide it with touch-based feedback. This feedback is believed to be activated when using Siri, browsing through menus, accessing the Home screen, and many more.

Haptic feedback is a technology that’s designed to give tactile feedback to the user whenever he or she is interacting with a device. This feedback system lets the user know whenever he or she has pressed or tapped a button or activated a certain feature. Apple only began embracing this type of technology for its iPhones in 2015 thanks to the Taptic Engine. However, it’s worth noting that the company’s Mac and other iOS devices have been using this feedback feature for years.

According to Apple Insider, though the current Apple TV remote has a touch surface that’s similar to that on MacBooks, it is not capable of vibrating or responding to taps, presses, or onscreen activities. Hence, the addition of haptic feedback to the upcoming Siri Remote will be very useful to users. Unfortunately, there are still no official details regarding the specific functions of the haptic feedback on the new remote control.

Meanwhile, there have been several leaks about the fifth-generation Apple TV set-top box made in the recent weeks. The latest of which claims the device is going to debut as “Apple TV 4K” to denote its support for ultra high definition content. 9To5Mac has learned that the new digital media player will also likely feature a 3-core A10 Fusion processor and 3GB of RAM. The new Apple TV is also expected to have HDR and Dolby Vision support. The iTunes Store will also be updated to include 4K HDR content for the fifth-generation Apple TV.

Other products that Apple could be unveiling this Tuesday include the LTE-capable Apple Watch Series 3, a slightly upgraded version of the AirPods and three new iPhones: a 10th anniversary model called iPhone X and the yearly upgrades, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. Earlier reports claimed the flagship device would be called the iPhone 8 while the other two would go launch as iPhone 7s and 7s Plus. However, it was found out recently that Apple opted to head to a different direction and decided to skip the “s” upgrades for this year. Apple’s press event is scheduled to take place at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino. The launch event will be streamed online.