After years of waiting, ranting, and almost giving up entirely, I am delighted that Apple has finally replaced the 2022 Apple TV 4K 3rd Generation. If there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I love that streamer, and I have spent almost every Apple launch and event since 2022 anticipating the announcement of its replacement.
That time has finally come. Apple has announced a new 4K streamer alongside a new HomePod Mini 2, the HomeView smart display, and a range of smart home devices developed in partnership with LG.
The Apple TV 4K certainly seems to be the streamer I’ve been waiting for. It looks like being a genuine upgrade over the previous model in terms of AV features and general functionality. While I am mostly exceptionally pleased with Apple’s announcement, there are a couple of issues that I have noted from Apple’s press release.
With that in mind, here are three things I have already taken a shine to, and two things I’m not super pleased with…
Like: a powerful processor for more than just AI
Apple has squeezed the same super-powerful A19 processor that can be found in the iPhone 17 into the Apple TV 4K 4th Generation. This chip has already proven to offer silky-smooth performance on the iPhone, and it can run everything from everyday apps to graphically intensive games with ease, so I am excited to see it in action on the new streamer.
The biggest feature that it enables is Siri AI, which can be used to control the streamer hands-free and track down content to watch. Asking the box to show you movies from a specific genre, or requesting Award-winning TV shows isn’t revolutionary – we have seen other streamers and operating systems do this – but it’s a nice feature to have nonetheless, especially now that you can speak to the streamer without picking up the remote, thanks to the built-in far-field microphones.
However, as someone who spends far too much time on IMDB looking at trivia, cast information, and filming locations, the ability to ask Siri contextual questions while I’m watching is a huge plus. Apple’s example of asking “where is Pluribus filmed?” really tickled my fancy, especially as a huge Pluribus fan.
That all said, the A19 chip does way more than unlock faster and more powerful AI responses; there’s a huge new AV feature coming to the box thanks to the new chipset.
It includes a new, dedicated AV1 decoder, which should help when it comes to streaming compressed video coded in the format. Apple touts “more efficient, high-quality streaming while using less bandwidth”, which is music to my ears.
This essentially also confirms a picture upgrade, and I can’t wait to see the new streaming box in action.
Dislike: an overly familiar design
The Apple TV 4K is a discreet and sleek black box designed to blend into your media setup, and it does a good job of doing exactly that. However, it looks almost identical to the outgoing model, which was incredibly similar to nearly every previous generation of Apple TV streamers.
Furthermore, the remote also looks unchanged from the outside, which is both a good and bad thing. I’m a huge fan of the high-quality aluminium handset with its clicky buttons, easy-to-use layout, and USB-C charging port, which means that I never have to faff around with batteries.
That said, Apple is charging significantly more for this streamer now (we’ll get on to that later), so a remote upgrade would have been nice. Backlit buttons would be a great start (Sky Stream’s remote scores points here), and a customisable shortcut button akin to the one found on the Google TV Streamer would also be nice.
Like: Find My remote and voice commands
I know I’ve just moaned about the remote, but there is a huge upgrade that I really do think is a game changer. Now, my sofa is notorious for swallowing remotes, so the inclusion of Find My is an absolute lifesaver.
There are two ways to locate the remote by the looks of things: you can give the “Siri, find the remote” command to the streaming box directly and it will play a chime, or use the Find My app on your iPhone to pinpoint the exact location of the remote using on-screen directions.
However, I know how lazy I can be, so being able to control the streamer without lifting a finger and instead letting voice commands do the work is a rather nice feature to have. Moreover, this could be a huge accessibility upgrade for those with mobility limitations.
Dislike: out of control price
There’s no beating around the bush here; the new Apple TV 4K is expensive. Apple is selling only one configuration this time, with the cheaper 64GB model being scrapped in favour of a single 128GB model with an ethernet socket for £299 / $299 / AU$449.
That is a substantial asking price for a streaming box, especially considering the last model launched at £169 / $150 / $250 for the 128GB model. Apple did initiate a price increase earlier this year, upping the asking price to £249 / $249 / AU$399.
It’s worth noting that the previous model is no longer available, so this essentially means we have had two fairly substantial Apple TV 4K price increases in the space of a few months.
Now, there are global economic factors at play that are orchestrating these price increases, and we are seeing the likes of Google and Amazon also increase the price of their streamers, but a £130 / $149 / AU$199 price increase feels rather egregious to us.
Apple may want to look into a cheaper step-down model in the future if it wants to reel in buyers put off by the price, as many will begin looking at the much cheaper Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max 2nd Generation at this rate.
Like: wireless surround sound with HomePods
Apple has made a big swing for immersive sound with the new TV 4K, and it involves its underappreciated HomePod speakers alongside some wireless audio trickery.
You can connect up to four HomePod speakers to the Apple TV 4K 4th Generation, and there are multiple configurations that you can use. Whether that’s four HomePod 2 speakers, four HomePod Mini 2s, or a mix of the two (provided that the front and back pairs match respectively), the new streamer can essentially act as a hub for a wireless Dolby Atmos surround sound system.
This wireless surround sound trend has become hugely popular across the home cinema scene, with the likes of Sony, LG, Hisense and Valerion all leading the pack, and now it’s Apple’s turn to jump on board. Considering how great the HomePod speakers sound, and given Apple’s impressive approach to sound tuning, I am very eager to test this new wireless audio feature out.
MORE:
Read our full Apple TV 4K (2022) review
As well as our Apple HomePod 2 review
And check out our list of the best streaming devices
