Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Audio / Video
  3. News

New Apple TV 4K gets more power, new Siri remote

Simon Cohen
By
Apple TV 4K second gen pricing
Apple

After what seems like years of rumors and dashed expectations, Apple finally announced a new Apple TV 4K at its Spring Loaded Event today.

The new streaming media device, which made its debut alongside a range of colorful iMacs and a pair of M1-equipped iPad Pros, looks identical to the previous model, that is until you look at the Siri remote. The remote control has been given a complete revamp and now looks a lot like the aluminum remote that shipped with the third-gen Apple TV.

Recommended Videos

The slender remote is made from 100% recycled aluminum and replaces the controversial touchpad with a traditional 4-way directional pad, which also acts a touchpad for swipe gestures if you prefer that way of navigating the Apple TV interface. Moving your thumb around the outer circle of the D-pad will let you move forward and back through video streams.

Related
1 of 2
New Siri remote for Apple TV 4K
Apple
Apple TV 4K new Siri remote side view
Apple

The new remote also includes a dedicated power button, which can power your TV on and off along with the Apple TV 4K. There’s also a new way to chat with Siri — the mic button has been relocated to the side of the remote.

As with the previous Siri remote, you recharge the second-gen device with an Apple Lightning cable.

Apple TV owners who don’t want a full upgrade can buy the second-gen Siri remote on its own for $59.

The remote isn’t the only thing that has changed. Under the Apple TV 4K’s black plastic housing, Apple has given the device a new brain: The Apple A12 Bionic chip.

This new processor enables some new features including high-frame-rate HDR, for streamed video content, as well as video, that’s streamed over AirPlay from iOS devices.

Apple TV 4K Color Balance with iPhone
Apple

Speaking of iOS devices, Apple has added a very clever new Apple TV 4K feature for iPhone owners. Using the iPhone’s onboard sensors and cameras, it can be used to achieve pro-level color balancing for your TV — something that most folks have trouble doing given the wide range of settings that are hidden within each TV’s menus.

Apple TV 4K color balancing
Apple

One change that Apple didn’t discuss during the event is the addition of the HDMI 2.1 specification to the new streaming device. This won’t mean much for the average consumer of movies and TV shows, but it lays the groundwork (along with the A12 Bionic chip) for new gaming features.

Variable refresh rate (VRR) and 4K at 120Hz are two aspects of HDMI 2.1 that make demanding first-person shooters and other fast-action games much more enjoyable, as they reduce screen tearing and improve smoothness.

The price of the new Apple TV 4K remains unchanged at $179 for the 32GB version and $199 for the 64GB version. Pre-orders begin Friday, April 23, with shipping starting in the second half of May.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Simon Cohen
Simon Cohen
Contributing Editor, A/V
Simon Cohen covers a variety of consumer technologies, but has a special interest in audio and video products, like…
The least interesting things about the new Apple TV 4K
The new Apple TV 4K, 3rd-generation, with the Siri remote.

It's a big deal whenever Apple announces new products. OK, maybe not in the global scheme of things, but in our little world here, every sentence of every word of every press release is going to be scrutinized. Things that aren't a big deal are going to be turned into headlines. Blog. Blog. Blog.

And that's true again in the case of the latest Apple TV 4K, which will be available for everyone starting November 4. It is, for all intents and purposes, the same as the old one. It's better, sure. It's a little less expensive, which is great. It's almost certainly still the best streaming device you can buy. But the features that are getting the headlines? That's folks reaching for something to celebrate.

Read more
Go ahead and spend the extra $20 on the good Apple TV 4K
Apple TV 4K 2021.

Apple has announced two new versions of the Apple TV 4K. Both are good for all kinds of reasons. Better internals. New features. And prices that are much more likely to be competitive, even if they're still a good bit north of what folks are spending on the likes of Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices.

But two new Apple TV 4K boxes -- and the death of the lower-resolution Apple TV HD -- means you've got a decision to make. Which Apple TV 4K is right for you?

Read more
New Apple TV 4K tweaks the internals and the price
Apple TV 4K 2022.

Apple today announced a new version of Apple TV 4K. It's the third generation of what we consider to be the best streaming device you can buy, and Apple's not really messing with things too much. Same general design. Same general function. But the internals have been tweaked that allow this 2022 model (which follows the models released in September 2017 and May 2021) to work better with more TVs — and to allow for a little more flexibility in price.

Here are the big deals: There are now two versions of Apple TV 4K (or SKUs, for those of you who prefer inside-baseball terms). There's a model that's Wi-Fi only with 64GB of storage for $130, or a model with Wi-Fi and Ethernet with 128GB of storage for $150. For our money, we'd just go ahead and spend the extra $20.

Read more