Apple TV has stuck with the same design since 2012, while its remote has been around for almost five years. That could change this summer, however, as Apple is rumored to be prepping a touch-pad Apple TV remote.

According to The New York Times, which cited an anonymous employee briefed on the product, Cupertino will reveal a thicker Apple TV remote that features a touch pad and two physical buttons.

Right now, the remote is a slim, silver device with a circular collection of buttons up top and two below. The first-gen remote, meanwhile, was white with a similar button configuration.

As the Times pointed out, other Apple accessories like the wireless Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad sport touch controls.

Last fall, a patent application suggested a modernized Apple TV remote with customization features. The Chromecast-like invention would allow users to tap an icon to stream and control content from their device to the TV. Not everything Apple patents comes to market, though.

Apple did not immediately respond to PCMag's request for comment.

Apple has not made any announcements about a next-gen Apple TV, but is expected to unveil a new version of its set-top box at next month's Worldwide Developer's Conference. A recent price drop on the current model, from $99 to $69, gives credence to those reports.

For its first update in three years, the box will reportedly feature Apple's latest A8 chip and an increase in on-board storage—beyond the current 8GB, to allow for new apps to be installed. It is also expected to come with an improved operating system and user interface, with support for Siri voice control.

It will not, however, provide 4K streaming capabilities, according to rumors.