iOS 16 betas hint at new Siri Remote for Apple TV

iOS 16 betas hint at new Siri Remote for Apple TV

The current Siri Remote was an improvement on its predecessor.
Photo: Apple

Watchful eyes have spotted code in the first two iOS 16 beta versions that appears to refer to an unreleased Siri Remote for Apple TV.

Information is scant, but chances are this is the new remote for a 4K Apple TV system with a updated price structure that could come out this year.

iOS 16 betas offer clue to possible new Siri Remote for Apple TV

The first two beta releases of iOS 16 to developers include strings for “SiriRemote4” and “WirelessRemoteFirmware.4.” Those don’t match with any existing Siri Remote.

Aaronp613, a contributor at AppleDB, an online database of Apple software and devices, spotted the code clue.

In code, the original Siri Remote is identified as “SiriRemote,” Aaron said. A newer version of that remote with a white circle around the “Menu” button is indicated by “SiriRemote2.” The silver Siri Remote released in 2021 is “SiriRemote3.”

So that suggests “SiriRemote4” refers to an upcoming remote for Apple TV.

The iOS 16 betas’ code mentions no further details about “SiriRemote4.” So the remote’s potential design and features remain a mystery. And names found in code don’t necessarily mean a new Apple product or version of a product is in the offing.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in May a new version of Apple TV that “improves cost structure” would launch in the second half of 2022. He suggested it could have a lower price than the existing Apple TV 4K, which starts at $179.

Kuo did not add any more detail, so it’s not clear if any new Siri Remote could be for a new lower-cost Apple TV coming down the pike soon. But it could be the case.

The current model of Apple TV came out in April 2021 with a new Siri Remote. Its design is a bit more practical than its predecessor.

A new tvOS 16 update for Apple TV, currently in beta, should arrive in September.