Siri Remote 1st Generation

Introduced alongside the Apple TV HD in October 2015, the Apple Siri Remote replaced the old infrared clicker with something far more capable, a slim black remote combining aluminium and glass, with a large glass touch surface across the top third for swiping through menus, a built-in microphone for talking to Siri, and a motion sensor for the handful of games that used it like a simple controller. It charged over Lightning rather than replaceable batteries and sold separately for $79.

It wasn't well liked in practice. The glass surface was prone to cracking if dropped, the touchpad was often too sensitive and registered accidental taps or scrolls, and because both ends of the remote looked almost identical, plenty of people picked it up upside down without realising, then wondered why nothing worked. 

Apple made a small running change in 2017 to try to ease that last complaint, adding a raised white ring around the Menu button so it could be felt or spotted more easily in the dark, alongside extra motion data for developers and a price cut down to $59. The core design otherwise stayed exactly the same until it was replaced entirely in 2021.