Apple TV 4K (Second Gen.) Review: A Much Better Remote, But What Else?
Well, after months and months and months of
rumors, it’s finally here.
I’m actually holding Apple’s newest streaming
device in my hand.
They’re calling it the second-generation
Apple TV 4K and it’s bringing some impressive
horsepower to the streaming device landscape.
But it’s also packing a new and (potentially)
improved Siri Remote, so we’ve got a lot
to discuss indeed.
If you’ve been curious about whether or
not a $179 to $199 streaming device makes
any sense at all, we hope this video helps.
This is the Cord Cutters News Review of the
Apple TV 4K (Second Generation)
And by the way, Apple did not provide us with
this Apple TV 4K.
We actually bought this one ourselves, but
as with all of our reviews, all of our opinions
remain 100% our own.
So with that all said, let’s dive in.
Hardware and Features
OK so here’s what we’re dealing with in
this second-generation Apple TV 4K.
Front and center is an updated processor.
We’ve moved from an A10X Fusion in the first-generation
4K to a more modern A12 Bionic processor.
Now that’s not exactly a brand-new chip
these days.
Apple first included the A12 Bionic in the
iPhone XS and XR line back in 2018
since seen it pop up in the 2019-era iPad
Air and iPad mini as well as the 2020 iPad.
Farther down the spec list, you can see what
else this second-gen Apple TV 4K is capable
of, including 4K HDR output with support for
HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Vision.
This new Apple TV also gets Thread support,
which is a newer smart home protocol supported
by Apple, Google, and several other companies.
You also get Dolby Atmos support as well as
an HDMI 2.1 port on the back.
Now that’s the newest version of the popular
HDMI standard and it allows for a whole lot
more bandwidth that can enable some fancy
new abilities if your TV also supports 2.1.
However, so far, we haven’t much in the
new Apple TV 4K’s feature set that really
takes advantage of that fancy new standard.
There is mention of 4K HDR at 60 frames per
second, but HDMI 2.1 actually allows for 120
frames per second at that resolution, so it’s
possible more advanced features are locked
away for now.
Of course, we’re just a few days away from
Apple’s annual Worldwide Developer Conference.
And it’s possible they might announce updates
to its tvOS software that could allow for
higher-end features like 120Hz refresh rates,
which would make the inclusion of HDMI 2.1
here a bit more logical.
And if you do want to get the most out of
an HDMI 2.1 connection, you’ll need to make
sure your TV and HDMI cable also support the
new standard.
But if you just want to use the new Apple
TV 4K as a traditional streaming device, it’s
backward compatible.
So you’ll be just fine connecting it to
displays that support older HDMI versions.
For reference, here are the specs for Apple’s
lower-cost, 1080p streamer, the 2015-era Apple
TV HD, which lives on in the current lineup
at $149 for a 32 gigabyte model.
There’s the lower-spec A8 processor as well
as an older HDMI 1.4 port on the back.
Ethernet is also of the less capable 10/100Base-T
variety.
In all, there’s a pretty significant difference
between the two streaming devices currently
on offer from Apple.
On the bright side, though, the older Apple
TV HD does now include the new Siri remote,
which we’ll be detailing shortly.
And now for comparison’s sake, let’s bring
in another line of high-end, high-powered
streaming devices that take up the $150 to
$200 price point.
It’s Nvidia’s well-regarded Shield TV
line, which hasn’t seen a hardware update
since 2019, but it’s still a more-than-capable
streaming device in its own right.
But this Apple TV update isn’t just about
updated specs.
Not by a long shot.
In fact, arguably the biggest buzz around
Apple’s new streaming hardware updates centers
on the included input device, a revamped Siri
Remote.
So let’s see what we’re dealing with there.
Now, I think it’s safe to say the previous
Siri Remote had more than a few detractors.
There was the high cost, the glass top surface,
the difficulty in telling which way was up
without looking, plus plenty of other complaints.
So as much as we were waiting for a new Apple
TV, I think many were also hoping for a big
improvement on the remote side.
And so we have the new Siri Remote.
It’s easy to see the differences between
this new option and the one it replaces.
There’s the aluminum enclosure wrapping
around the entire device.
There’s also a circular directional pad
up top that doubles as a trackpad, which makes
it a lot easier to know how you’re holding
it without looking.
One criticism Apple hasn’t really addressed,
however, is the high cost to replace a remote,
as this new Siri Remote is sold separately
for $59.
That’s not exactly cheap, but of course
this is Apple we’re talking about.
As for how the new Siri Remote and the Apple
TV 4K itself perform, well, let’s get into
that next.
Setup and Performance
Once you open the Apple TV 4K, you’ll be
treated to the usual Apple unboxing experience.
If you’ve purchased one of their devices
in recent years, you’ll likely be familiar
with the packaging approach here, which aims
to emphasize efficiency and minimal use of
materials.
So, you’ll immediately come face to face
with the new Apple TV 4K, which retains its
compact, rounded square aesthetic.
Elsewhere in the box is the new Siri Remote,
some documentation, a power cord and, yes,
some Apple logo stickers if you’re interested.
In case you’re wondering, no, there’s
no HDMI cable included in this particular
package, so make sure you have one available.
Just a heads-up there.
Around back, you can see the second-gen Apple
TV 4K continues its strong resemblance to
the model it replaces.
There’s the Gigabit Ethernet port, the HDMI
2.1 connection, and a spot to connect the
power cord.
If you want to compare that to other high-end
streaming devices, like the Roku Ultra or
the Nvidia Shield TV Pro, you’ll likely
notice there’s no USB port for expandable
storage on the Apple TV 4K.
So just keep that in mind when you’re considering
the 32 gigabyte or 64 gigabyte models.
As for setup, you have a few options there.
If you have, say, an iPhone or iPad, you can
bring them close to the Apple TV to share
your WiFi and Apple ID credentials.
That can make for an easy, straightforward
setup process.
But if you’d rather go the manual route,
you can definitely do that as well.
You’ll need to plug in your WiFi password
and sign in to Apple ID (or sign up for one
if you haven’t done so already).
With either route, it shouldn’t take too
long before you’re greeted by the tvOS Home
screen.
It’s a familiar look, especially if you’re
used to using Apple devices.
There are large icons arranged in a grid,
with the top row dedicated to a customizable
list of favorites.
And the overall app selection is clearly one
of Apple TV’s strong suits.
Pretty much every streaming and entertainment
app you’ve heard of and several more are
likely available through the onboard app store,
so it took us little time to load up our go-to
services.
We ran our Apple TV 4K on 1080p and 4K OLED
displays and every time we changed displays,
it quickly and automatically added TV controls
to the Siri Remote.
Now, some of those TV-specific controls, like
volume up and down, might require you to point
your remote at the TV for them to register,
but controlling the Apple TV itself can be
done with the Siri Remote in really any orientation.
It might be unsurprising, but the second-gen
Apple TV 4K easily handled all the streaming
content we could throw at it.
And that included movies in 4K and with Dolby
Vision HDR enabled.
Like some other recent devices, there’s
an option to run HDR output by default.
But if that ends up looking unappealing to
you, you can thankfully set the Apple TV 4K
to SDR as standard, with HDR firing up only
when called upon.
Meanwhile, using the Siri button on the included
remote resulted in some impressively fast
search results.
We were typically served with relevant content
options within seconds of speaking — a strong
performance indeed.
[Off-screen voice]: Jackie Chan movies.
[Off-screen voice]: Battlestar Galactica
[Off-screen voice]: Cord Cutters News on YouTube
As a streaming device, the new Apple TV 4K
is clearly capable.
Of course, Apple’s been pitching the Apple
TV 4K as more than just a streaming device,
and you’ll definitely squeeze more from
your $180 to $200 if you’re signed up for
other Apple services, including newer options
like Apple Fitness+ and Apple Arcade.
Now it certainly can’t compete with the
PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, let alone newer
options like the PS5 or Xbox Series X.
But there are some fun gaming options to enjoy
thanks to Apple Arcade.
The mobile version of NBA 2K21 plays well
on a big screen, even if it’s visually a
big step back from dedicated console versions.
Speaking of gaming, using a controller is
simple enough.
We were able to connect a PlayStation 5 DualSense
controller in a few seconds and it helped
make several games more enjoyable.
And it was easy enough to control the Home
screen and other apps too.
And while we’re talking about games, you’ll
also need to keep install sizes in mind too
when choosing which Apple TV 4K to buy.
NBA 2K21, for example, weighs in at just under
4GB.
And while other, less advanced games require
much less space, it’s something to consider
if you plan to download a ton of games.
Aside from gaming, you might also find
more value here if you’re a frequent user
of other Apple services, like HomeKit or iTunes
for buying and renting content.
You’ll also be able to enjoy your iTunes
music library through your TV as well, which
could be a handy way to enjoy your playlists
through your living room setup.
In short, the more embedded you are in Apple’s
various ecosystems, the more opportunities
you’ll have to wring value out of your purchase
here.
As for performance metrics, we’ll get into
those shortly, but we wanted to talk about
what it’s like using the new Siri Remote.
Overall, it’s quite usable, pleasant even
at times.
The all-aluminum body is comfortable to hold
and isn’t quite as slippery as I had anticipated.
The new circular clickpad features an outer
ring that can be used for directional inputs,
so you can press up, down, left, or right.
And the large center section can be used as
a button as well.
Beyond that the entire surface acts as a trackpad,
letting you quickly scroll through items and,
ideally, make navigation more efficient and
enjoyable.
And when it works, it’s fun to use, and
that includes some amusing games like What
The Golf?.
It does take some getting used to however.
And especially early on, we had trouble accidentally
scrolling when we meant to press a direction
instead.
That sometimes led to scrolling past the item
we wanted to select, which made some text
entry tricky at times.
We eventually got better at it, but if you
find it too much of a hassle, you can turn
the touchpad feature off and use the clickpad
strictly for directional inputs.
Speaking of changing things up, the Display
button on the Siri Remote opens up Apple TV
by default, and we understand why Apple would
do that — it does have a streaming service
to push after all.
But if you want to change that behavior, it’s
easy enough to switch it so pressing that
button brings you to the Home screen instead.
And that Siri button on the side is easy to find
without looking and conveniently placed for
quick voice searches.
Overall, then the Siri Remote marks a significant
improvement when it comes to comfort, design,
and overall usability.
It does take some getting used to, though,
and you do have the option to disable some
of its more advanced features, like the touchpad
or accessing Siri.
Performance Benchmarks
But what about the second-gen Apple TV 4K
itself?
Does it have the performance to help justify
that price tag?
Well, let’s see.
So here’s our standard cross-platform app
suite.
This is where we load up each app in succession
and time how quickly a device can load them.
The test starts and ends with Netflix, in
part to see if the device is able to load
the app faster the second time through.
And for reference, here’s how some recent,
high-end streaming devices have fared in our
testing.
As you can see, Roku’s 2020 Ultra currently
holds the record in our suite with an average
time of 75.74 seconds for the 10-app test.
And really, any device with a score below,
say, 100 seconds can be considered plenty
fast, but it’s interesting to see how they
all compare.
And now how does the new, second-gen Apple
TV 4K stack up?
Really well.
Really, really well.
OK, so there you go, the new Apple TV 4K absolutely
ran away with this test, scoring a total time of
37.16 seconds.
It’s safe to say that’s our new record
holder for this test and it’s more than
twice as fast as that Roku Ultra.
And while that is undeniably impressive, I’d
caution that incredible app-loading speeds
probably shouldn’t be your one and only
consideration when looking for a streaming
device to buy, especially when we’re talking
about options approaching $200.
But if smooth operation and consistently swift
app-loading times are important to you, the
second-gen Apple TV 4K is in a class all its
own.
Wrapping It All Up…
So there you go, that’s our full review
of the second-generation Apple TV 4K and thank
you all so much for tuning in.
If you’re impressed by the Apple TV 4K’s
record-breaking performance and if you’re
ready to leverage its ties to other Apple
services and platforms, you’ll find plenty
to like here.
Yes, a starting price of $179 for 32GB is
quite a lot when compared to other perfectly
capable streaming devices out there.
So it’ll be up to you to decide whether
you think you’ll get your money’s worth
from the device.
If you’re a first-gen Apple TV 4K user,
I’d stick with that machine for now as it
remains a supremely capable machine.
Plus, one of the most significant upgrades
in this second-gen model is its bundled remote
control, which is a problem you can solve
for $59.
If all you really want is a solid streaming
device, options like the Nvidia Shield TV
Pro, the Roku Ultra, and more might offer
more bang for the buck, even for existing
Apple users.
But if you want to enjoy that traditional
Apple user experience in streaming device
form, and maybe take advantage of its other
capabilities, the second-gen Apple TV 4K is
an impressive and capable package.
For now, though, thanks again for watching.
And please do consider clicking those all-important
Like and Subscribe buttons down below.
My name is Philip Palermo, and we’ll see
you next time.
Take care.
