My life, for better or worse, revolves around Apple products. I use a MacBook Pro to run Xcode to create software for iPhones, iPods and iPads using an Apple Aluminum Keyboard and Magic Trackpad. I test that software on my many models of iPhones, an iPod touch and an iPad. I keep track of my schedule and conduct nearly all my personal and business correspondence on my iPhone and iPad and use those same devices to enjoy a variety of media at home via my Apple TV. Each of these products has many positive features – some bordering on magic – and each has a bevy of often frustrating limitations and shortcomings. But they are all, in general, well-designed, fun-to-use, and exciting products. So it’s no small praise when I say that one of the best-designed Apple products that I have laid hands on recently is the new Aluminum Apple Remote.

Photo Credit: Flickr User Princess Anrchist

The Aluminum Remote may be among the cheapest Apple products currently for sale, but there is an unexpected and truly surprising amount of attention that has gone into its design. I dismissed it at first as simply another cosmetic redesign with the goal of bringing it up to date with the black-and-aluminum scheme of nearly all the rest of Apple’s lineup. However, this was not just a mere cosmetic change – the ergonomics of this little device are something to marvel at.

First off is the obvious feel of the remote when I first picked it up. There’s heft there that I wasn’t expecting after being used to the older white Apple remote for so long. The aluminum remote feels good in my hand. It has the weight, and it has a size that, even in my larger-than-average hands, allows me to position it comfortably. The remote fills my grasp unlike the previous plastic one. It is long enough to give all my fingers purchase on its form and has lost the “toy” feeling of its predecessor.

But it is not just the heft and size of this device that has improved. The usability is nothing short of amazing. I simply do not need to look at this remote to use every feature it provides. The donut navigation ring is large and raised above the surface significantly and surrounds an action button which is subtly concave which gives my thumb a perfect home resting spot. I can feel very clearly when I move over the directional ring and with the divot as a reference point in the middle, I never accidentally click in a direction I didn’t intend. Having the action button located under the resting location of my thumb makes it easy to select items on-screen without having to look down to confirm I’m using the correct button. This concept extends to the additional buttons included on the remote as well. Both positioned within easy reach of the directional ring, Apple has done a phenomenal job of designing the buttons so that my fingers alone, without help from my eyes, can find them. The menu button is concave similar to the action button and running my thumb over it, there is no mistaking its location. The play/pause button (which functions identically to the action button on most Apple products with the current software) is flush with the surface of the remote, but there is left a subtle ridge at the edge of this button which becomes obvious when I brush my thumb across it. I know where all the controls of this remote are without a look, without a thought. It is control that melts into the background and becomes an extension of me.

Photo Credit: Flickr User Stuart Bryant

Even the battery door, positioned directly on the bottom of the remote is well designed. It is easy to open, cannot go in wrong, and is easy to handle. Since the entire remote tapers to the long edges, the bottom is curved. When closed, the battery door is flush with the body of the remote, but when turned 90 degrees to open, it’s bevel is out of alignment and the cover becomes easy to grasp between my thumb and forefinger and is not at all difficult to handle or to replace. It may sound a simple thing, but having replaces batteries in small objects like this for many family members and friends who have limited manual dexterity (or eyesight!) this is one of the most elegant features of the new Aluminum Remote. Overall, this was a surprising device for me to find so many small things that were just an utter joy to use and to feel and to notice. This is the kind of attention that should be paid to all our product designs across industries. I may have dismissed this little design marvel when I first saw it, but it has found itself among my favorite objects I encounter every day.