The irresponsibly leaked iOS 11 Gold Master build is a gift that keeps on giving, but tvOS 11 has its own secrets as well, with latest discoveries pointing to a refreshed Siri Remote in tow for a fifth-generation Apple TV model to be called “Apple TV 4K”.
As a bonus, the updated remote could feature haptic feedback (with 3D Touch support?).
As per code leaks shared by 9to5Mac, there’s evidence in the tvOS 11 firmware that the Siri Remote model number has jumped from “B239” to “B429”, indicating an imminent refresh.
Furthermore, Brazilian developer Guilherme Rambo has found references to “actuator calibration” and “force calibration” in the firmware that could indicate haptic feedback coming to the next-generation Siri Remote, perhaps by way of a miniaturized Taptic Engine.
The new remote hardware identifier was discovered in the Siri Remote firmware itself, which is separate from the current Siri Remote. 9to5Mac clarifies that a change in model number does not necessarily mean that new hardware is on its way.