The Samsung Galaxy S4 and the HTC One both come with IR receivers that allow them to replace your television remote. It's convenient, but that isn't necessarily true about the default apps they ship with. The HTC One's TV app tries to streamline channel surfing by placing favorite shows front and center, but it only adds clutter for someone like me who doesn't have cable television for the app to pull from. The latest update to Smart IR Remote avoids this issue and adds an assortment of other cool features, but at ten dollars, it will set you back the price of an actual universal remote.

Smart IR Remote offers a clean interface with core functions front and center, yet additional buttons and advanced options are tucked away where they're still easily accessible. What sets this update apart is its floating remote feature, which places a chat head-style notification on top of your other apps. This could be annoying away from home, it removes the hassle of having to switch to a dedicated app just to adjust the volume.

Another standout feature is the ability to automatically mute the television whenever the phone rings, though this could potentially drive family members, visitors, or roommates up the wall. While this functionality is available out of the box, it's also possible for users to automate their own tasks and design their own macros. This is a power user's remote, as further evidenced by the ability for frequent ROM switchers to backup and restore their settings.

There's a catch, though. While Smart IR Remote looks similar on both the Galaxy S4 and the HTC One, the same app won't work across the two devices. This may not affect most of us, but anyone with both phones will have to pay $20 to get the app installed on each. Just something to consider.