Yes, your glass Apple TV remote will break if you drop it

By

The first known casualty of the new Apple TV is this dropped remote.
The first known casualty of the new Apple TV is this dropped remote.
Photo: right2pandaarms/Reddit

The tech accessories industry had better get to work on coming up with a protective case for a new Apple product that appears to be fragile – the remote control for Apple TV.

The above remote fell onto a tiled floor from a person’s lap and shattered. It does not work, costing the owner an extra $79 to replace it (nope, he did not purchase Apple Care).

The shattered remote was featured Sunday on Reddit by user right2pandaarms and drew more than 300 comments. The remote slipped off a roommate’s lap from the couch.

“I couldn’t believe it, (it) looked like it got ran over by a car,” right2pandaarms wrote. “Luckily, my roommate says he’ll gladly pay for a new remote.”

The new Apple TV began arriving on doorsteps and on some store shelves last week. It has gotten several favorable reviews with high marks in particular for the redesigned remote that features a “touch-sensitive trackpad that is a blessing,” according to Cult of Mac editor and publisher Leander Kahney.

That blessing may also have a curse similar to the screens on the iPhone because the trackpad is made out of glass. Who doesn’t know an iPhone user who hasn’t shattered a screen? Apple has worked hard to bring stronger glass to each new generation.

Little if anything is known about the kind of drop tests Apple conducted on the TV remote but adding glass to it, one would presume dropping it a few times was part of the development phase.

Consider your television habits and think about how many times you’ve placed your television remote on the arm of a comfy recliner and sent it flying with the sweep of an arm. Shouldn’t the glass be able to withstand the butt of a couch potato who frequently sits on their remote?

As news of the broken remote circulates, there are sure to be self-proclaimed tech experts taking to YouTube with results of their drop tests/ass tests to opine on whether this is a real concern or if this particular case was just a fluke fall.

One Reddit reader said Apple will request its stores collect broken products for analysis and suggested to right2pandaarms bring ti make to a store to see if they will replace it for free.

Source: The Next Web

Newsletters

Daily round-ups or a weekly refresher, straight from Cult of Mac to your inbox.

  • The Weekender

    The week's best Apple news, reviews and how-tos from Cult of Mac, every Saturday morning. Our readers say: "Thank you guys for always posting cool stuff" -- Vaughn Nevins. "Very informative" -- Kenly Xavier.