Regarding the top streaming gadgets, the Apple TV 4K always belongs in a luxury box. Fortunately, though, Apple dropped the price of its most recent model by $50, making it slightly more affordable. All while using the A15 Bionic system-on-a-chip to improve performance.
This review of the Apple TV 4K will demonstrate how the A15 SoC makes this streaming device among the fastest available. Additionally, it will assist you in determining whether to switch from Roku, Fire TV, or Chromecast to an upgraded model of Apple TV. Despite being more than twice as expensive as some of our other favorites, the Apple TV 4K is among the greatest streaming gadgets.
Pricing Details of Apple TV 4K
For $129, you can purchase the 64GB Wi-Fi-only option of the Apple TV 4K. We tried the 128GB storage option, which costs $149 and comes with Wi-Fi and Ethernet. If you want a device with Thread network compatibility for the Matter standard, you must purchase the $149 model. Remember that sentence is crucial for the future of the smart home, even if you don’t comprehend it.
Design and Ports
Unlike the $149 Wi-Fi + Ethernet model, which contains an Ethernet port on the back, the entry-level AppleTV 4K has power and HDMI ports. Compared to the Roku Ultra and Fire TV Cube’s 10/100 Mbps connections, that is a gigabit Ethernet port. Ethernet ports are absent from the Roku Streaming Stick 4K and 4K Chromecast.
A USB-C port on the rear of the Apple TV 4K is beneficial for charging the Siri Remote and possibly integrating a webcam in the future for FaceTime SharePlay synchronized group viewing. And since Amazon recently upgraded the Fire TV Cube with an additional HDMI connector, we can’t help but believe that any streaming device costing more than $100 ought to provide that to those like us who own numerous game consoles and a DVD player.
How does the Remote Work?
The Siri Remote that comes with the Apple TV 4K is almost precisely the same as the much-improved one supplied with the previous year’s model. The charging method is USB-C instead of Lightning, which is the only distinction. With this remote, the much-maligned touchpad interface was replaced with directional buttons. Input on the surface is akin to a touchpad and allows you to swipe through the history of your movies and TV series and navigate.
Apple continues to have few buttons on their devices. Next are the buttons for “back” and “TV,” the latter of which may be remapped to function as a “home” button if you don’t use the TV app. The TV button can be double-clicked to reveal an app-switcher model. Next are controls for volume, mute, and play/pause.
Another gift awaits users of the Apple ecosystem with the Apple TV 4K. You can quickly turn a locked iPhone into a remote by swiping and tapping the Control Center in iOS to locate the iOS Apple TV remote
Performance
The Apple A15 Bionic system-on-chip replaces the A12 Bionic chip from the previous year’s model and is the next-biggest improvement. The A14 and A13 chips included in the iPad, iPad mini, and iPhone SE are slower than the chip powering the iPhone 14.
This power level begs whether Apple has more in store for the Apple TV 4K beyond streaming and light gaming. Compared to the 2021 Apple TV Plus, Apple claims that this chip will provide up to 50% faster CPU performance, up to 30% better GPU performance, and up to 20% faster app launch times.
Conclusion
One of the greatest streaming devices gets even better with the release of the new Apple TV 4K, but it does so in a very significant way. The Apple TV 4K is now more affordable than ever at just $50 less. I adore the $99 Apple TV 4K, which resembles the Roku Ultra. It does not require an additional $20 for Ethernet and has the lost-remote detecting capability we want to see in an Apple TV. While Apple’s Ethernet is undoubtedly quicker, this Apple TV 4K review has revealed that its interface is its greatest distinctive feature. It is something that some people may not truly appreciate or comprehend until they hold one in their hands.