Reviews
Reviews of the second-generation Apple TV 4K are largely positive, with reviewers praising the faster A12 Bionic chip and the redesigned Siri Remote. A thorough look at the Apple TV 4K and its new remote is shown in the review videos below.play
The new Apple TV is said to be “noticeably faster” and offer a slightly better experience than previous models. Reviewers felt that the A12 chip is faster, but said it is “not a night and day difference.” The main benefit of the new chip and newly-added HDMI 2.1 support is the ability to play HDR content at a higher 60 frames per second.play
Currently, there is a limited amount of content that supports 60 frames per second and users will require a compatible TV. Some reviewers felt that the 60 frames per second content, such as sports, was smooth, but not clearly evident to the untrained eye.
The new Siri Remote features a totally new design and a clickpad for five-way navigation, in what reviewers lauded as a significant improvement over the previous model.play
In spite of general praise for the new design of the remote, there was some criticism for the Back button, which behaves more randomly than expected due to how different developers use it.
Some reviewers noted that the Apple TV remains very expensive relative to other streaming boxes and sticks, while others said that it offers “the most reliable platform” to justify the price.
Reviews can help potential buyers make a decision about purchasing the new Apple TV 4K, and more information can be found in our dedicated review roundup.
Hardware and Design
The Apple TV 4K did not receive design updates with the 2021 refresh, and it continues to be a simple, unobtrusive black box that’s about the size of the palm of your hand. It measures in at 3.9 inches on each of its four sides, and it is 1.4 inches tall. As for weight, it’s just under a pound at 15 ounces.
There’s an Apple TV logo at the top, and aside from that, the device is black on all sides and blends well with home decor. It’s small enough that it fits on any shelf or TV unit next to a television set.
At the back of the Apple TV 4K, there’s an HDMI 2.1 port, a Gigabit Ethernet port, and a spot for the power cord to plug in.
Processor and Internals
The second-generation Apple TV 4K is equipped with an A12 Bionic chip, which is the same chip that was first used in the iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR in 2018.
The A12 Bionic chip is a significant upgrade over the A10X Fusion chip that was in the prior-generation Apple TV 4K, with improvements to both CPU and GPU speeds.
For storing games and downloaded content, the Apple TV 4K is available in either 32 or 64GB capacities.
Connectivity
The Apple TV 4K supports 802.11ax WiFi 6 speeds. WiFi 6 is the newest and fastest WiFi protocol available with improved speeds, expanded network capacity, lower latency, better power efficiency, and upgraded performance in locations with many smart home devices.
Along with WiFi 6, the second-generation Apple TV 4K is the first Apple TV that has built-in Thread support. Thread is a low-power networking technology that offers a secure, mesh-based system able to interface with other Thread-enabled smart home devices for improved connectivity, so many HomeKit devices will benefit from the new Apple TV model.
The Apple TV 4K also supports Bluetooth 5.0 and it comes with an IR receiver for remote input.
4K and HDR
Like the original Apple TV 4K, the second-generation Apple TV 4K supports 4K HDR content for brighter, more realistic colors and greater detail than is available with the 1080p Apple TV HD.
Both HDR10 and Dolby Vision are supported, and new to the second-generation version is support for high frame rate HDR, which brings more fluid, crisp video. The second-generation Apple TV 4K offers twice the frame rate for high dynamic range video thanks to the HDMI 2.1 port, maxing out at 60 frames per second.
Apple says fast-action sports look smoother, nature documentaries come alive, and YouTube videos “jump off the screen.”
The Apple TV 4K requires a compatible 4K television to display content at a 4K resolution, and features like Dolby Vision require a TV that supports Dolby Vision. The Apple TV 4K connects to a television set using HDMI, and an HDMI cable is not included.
4K Streaming
To stream content in 4K from iTunes, Netflix, or another source, Apple recommends that customers have a minimum connection speed of 25Mb/s. If an internet connection isn’t fast enough for transferring 4K content, Apple downscales the video quality.
Apple does not allow users to download 4K content from iTunes, with 4K content limited to streaming.
Supported Photo, Video, and Audio Formats
The Apple TV 4K supports H.264, HEVC (H.265), HEVC Dolby Vision, and MPEG-4. As for photos, it can display images in the following formats: HEIF, JPEG, GIF, and TIFF.
Supported audio formats include HE-AAC (V1), AAC (up to 320 Kbps), protected AAC (from iTunes Store), MP3 (up to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Apple Lossless, FLAC, AIFF, and WAV; AC-3 (Dolby Digital 5.1), E-AC-3 (Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 surround sound), and Dolby Atmos
The Apple TV supports Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos and standard lossless audio, ranging from 16-bit at 44.1 kHz to 24-bit at 48 kHz. Apple says that the Apple TV 4K “currently doesn’t support Hi-Res Lossless,” leaving the door open to the possibility of a future software update with Hi-Res Lossless support for the device in the future.
Color Balance
Alongside the 2021 Apple TV 4K, Apple added a new Color Balance feature that uses an iPhone with a Face ID camera to calibrate the colors on the Apple TV.
- How to Use Apple TV’s iPhone-Based Color Balance Feature
In the video section of the Apple TV settings, there’s a Color Balance option to initiate the feature. You can hold your iPhone up to the TV screen, with the iPhone detecting the color and comparing it to industry standards for adjustment purposes. This feature is not available when Dolby Vision is enabled on a compatible TV set.
Siri Remote
Apple introduced a redesigned Siri Remote to go with the second-generation Apple TV 4K. The new remote is larger in size, with an aluminum body. Rather than a touch surface at the top, the updated Siri Remote is equipped with a touch-enabled clickpad with gesture support.
A single click lets you click into a TV show or move, while a swipe moves through long lists of content. The outer part of the clickpad can be swiped across to scrub through shows and movies, fast-forwarding and rewinding as needed. The remote includes a TV/Home button, a Back button, a Play/Pause button, a Mute button, and a set of volume buttons.
New to the remote is a dedicated Power button for turning the television off or on, and on the side of the remote, there’s a dedicated button for activating Siri. The Siri functionality is limited to a select number of countries, with a list available on Apple’s website.
In countries where Siri support is unavailable, the Siri Remote is called the “Apple TV Remote.”
Siri on the Apple TV works much like Siri on the iPhone. You can speak into the remote, with the Siri command relayed back to the Apple TV. Siri can be used for
The bottom of the Siri Remote features a Lightning port that can be used to recharge it every few months. The prior version of the Siri remote included an accelerometer and gyroscope that allowed it to be used as a controller for Apple TV games, but the new remote does not have that functionality and Apple instead expects users to play games with Bluetooth controllers.
The Siri Remote does not feature Find My integration as was rumored, but people have been experimenting with AirTags as an alternate tracking method.
- : How to Customize the Clickpad on the 2nd Gen Siri Remote
- : How to Scrub Through Video Using the 2nd Gen Siri Remote
Remote App
Along with the physical Siri Remote, the Apple TV can be controlled using a Remote app that’s available in the App Store for the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. The Remote app has a layout that’s similar to the Siri Remote, offering virtual controls for navigating the Apple TV interface, accessing Siri, and controlling volume.
Bluetooth Accessories
Popular controllers from PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo can be paired with the Apple TV for gaming purposes, and Apple expects Apple Arcade and other games to be played with a controller rather than the Siri Remote.
The Apple TV 4K can also be paired with Bluetooth keyboards, though typing for searches and other purposes can be done with an iPhone tied to the same iCloud account as well.
tvOS and the TV app
tvOS is the operating system that runs on the Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD, offering a an easy-to-navigate television watching experience on Apple’s set-top box.
With a full App Store, tvOS supports downloading a range of different apps and games that can be used on the Apple TV, and the interface design puts content front and center. Get to what you want to watch using Siri commands, the Apple Remote, or the Remote app on iPhone and Apple Watch, and keep track of shows with “Up Next.”
tvOS includes several built-in apps like Photos for accessing your Photo Library, Apple Music, Podcasts, and Apple TV, an app that aggregates TV and movie content from tons of sources, including the Apple TV+ streaming service.
Channels are included in the Apple TV app, so you can subscribe to and watch content from paid services without having to open up a third-party app, and Apple will make suggestions on content you might like to watch. You can even control your smart home products with the Home app.
Apple adds new features to tvOS on a regular basis, and the 2021 update to tvOS is tvOS 15, which is the successor to tvOS 14, is available now. tvOS updates never bring as many changes as iOS or macOS updates, but there are still some notable new features in tvOS 15 worth highlighting.
SharePlay, a FaceTime feature that lets multiple users watch TV shows or movies together, will integrate with tvOS, and there’s a new “For All of You” recommendation engine that suggests shows everyone might enjoy.