Cases And Accessories

Apple did not equip the Siri Distant with an AirTag as a result of it is too large to lose

With the debut of Apple TV 4K a few weeks ago, a new and improved Siri remote was also introduced. Compared to its predecessor, which had a touchpad, this one has a clickable D-pad, while a circular touch-sensitive area for gestures is retained in the middle. It has a cool jogwheel feature that is a cute recall to the iPod’s scroll wheel while the Siri button is now on the side – easier to find and less prone to accidental presses. One area that has missed the mark is the lack of tracking functionality.

The Siri remote is thick, says Apple. You won’t lose it in your sofa cushions, Apple says.

Many early adopters complain that Apple might have built an AirTag into the new Siri remote to make it easier to find an item that gets misplaced frequently. If it wasn’t an AirTag, the company might at least have outfitted it with an Ultra Wideband (UWB) chip to make it easier to find if it inevitably gets buried in your sofa cushions or if your pet takes it for a game to collect. Apple, on the other hand, thinks the new Siri remote is too big to get lost in the folds and is ripping your couch apart.

The strange explanation (read: sorry) was made by Apple’s vice president of product marketing for home and audio, Tim Twerdahl, when asked if the company was considering adding tracking functionality to the Siri remote. In an interview with MobileSyrup’s Patrick O’Rourke, the Apple executive said the following:

Patirk O’Rourke: Ever thought of adding AirTag-like technology to the Siri remote? I keep losing the remote in my sofa cushions and it seems like a great idea. Didn’t Apple care because the Find My network was designed to be used outside of the home?
Tim Twerdahl: We are very excited about AirTags and what we’re doing with U1. Part of that accomplishment is the Find My network and the fact that we can use a billion devices around the world to help you find things. For you, this is the most powerful thing outside of the house. With the changes we’ve made to the Siri remote – including making it a bit thicker so it doesn’t fall so heavily into your sofa cushions – all of these other network devices have to find that it appears a little lower.

Apple has its own way of doing things

If Apple had said that the tracking hardware was skipped for technical reasons or even to keep the price in check – although the Apple TV 4K is by no means cheap – potential buyers would have slept peacefully. But hey, Apple is no stranger to weird product decisions and subsequent explanations. From the iPhone 4’s Antennagate fiasco, aka “You Got It Wrong,” to making a mouse that you can’t use while charging, this company’s track record is far from immaculate.

The mantra is simple: deal with it!

Apple has its own way of doing things. While the company has cost a number of known bugs leading to apologies (Tim Cook apologized for the tons of Apple Maps issues) and product suspensions (known as the “Power Mac G4 Cube on hold”), the company has weathered multiple disasters. But at the end of the day, users have to live with it.

As an aside, I’m writing this on a MacBook that doesn’t have a port other than USB-C, which forces me to spend extra on a hub to hook up other accessories. Apple might think that getting rid of other ports was a wise decision, given that USB-C is the future. But now we hear from credible sources that the upcoming MacBook Pro will bring back the HDMI port and SD card slot. So much for a future-proof laptop that set me back by more than a giant within a year!

Check out Apple TV 4K at Best Buy


Nadeem Sarwar

I’ve been writing about consumer technology for over three years, having worked with names like NDTV and Beebom in the past. Leaving the latest news aside, I’ve checked out my fair share of devices that range from smartphones and laptops to smart home devices. I’ve also interviewed tech managers and appeared as a presenter on YouTube videos talking about the latest and greatest gadgets.

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