Crazy Rumor Tuesday: Touch Screen Remote for New Apple TV?

Is Apple planning a larger, touch-screen enabled remote control to go along with a next generation Apple TV? Boy Genius' tipster, the same one who leaked iTunes 9 app organization and social integration, says yes indeed. And if the image above is accurate, one of the updates will be -- Safari. (No sign of Apps yet, though...)

Would this really be a lower-cost option to something like the Remote App for iPhone and iPod touch, which could conceivably do anything a dedicated remote could do and more? (Actually, adding Bluetooth to an Apple TV for more persistent, don't have to wait for WiFi to reconnect, iPhone remote would be even better!)

Along those lines, we don't see Apple investing this much in a single-purpose remote control, even if it can control Macs, docked iPods, etc. as well, given what they're doing with the iPhone platforms, but stranger things have happened.

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Rene Ritchie
Contributor

Rene Ritchie is one of the most respected Apple analysts in the business, reaching a combined audience of over 40 million readers a month. His YouTube channel, Vector, has over 90 thousand subscribers and 14 million views and his podcasts, including Debug, have been downloaded over 20 million times. He also regularly co-hosts MacBreak Weekly for the TWiT network and co-hosted CES Live! and Talk Mobile. Based in Montreal, Rene is a former director of product marketing, web developer, and graphic designer. He's authored several books and appeared on numerous television and radio segments to discuss Apple and the technology industry. When not working, he likes to cook, grapple, and spend time with his friends and family.