The best video streamer just got better (and cheaper)
TV streamer | £149 | whf.cm/AppleTV4K
The Apple TV 4K has been our favourite video streamer and an Award-winner since its release in 2021, and now there is a new generation with a more powerful chip and smaller casework.
With plenty of subtle upgrades across the board, from general usability improvements to a blazing-fast new processor inside, the new Apple TV 4K is already shaping up to be a nice upgrade over the last model – and did we mention that it’s cheaper?
Yes, in a surprisingly un-Apple-like move, the 3rd Generation Apple TV 4K is actually cheaper than the previous model. It starts at £149 for the 32GB model, or £169 for the 64GB model, which also adds an ethernet connection. For reference, the previous generation model started at £169.
The Apple TV 4K’s nearest competitor is the Amazon Fire TV Cube which costs £140. The Apple TV 4K’s price point puts it at the premium end of the market, as it’s double the price of the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K and Google Chromecast with Google TV.
Modest and boxy
The Apple TV 4K retains the modest and boxy design of its predecessor, coming in a matt and glossy black combo finish. It is embellished with an Apple logo on top, and you will find an HDMI 2.1 socket and a power connection on the rear, as well as an ethernet port if you opt for the more expensive model.
While it may look almost identical to the previous generation, this Apple TV is actually a tad smaller and it’s around the size of a trio of stacked CDs. The reduction in size is made possible because Apple’s engineers have opted for a fanless design this time around. The unit’s aesthetics are sleek and low-key enough to practically disappear into an entertainment set-up, and it can easily be tucked behind a TV if needed.
The high-quality aluminium remote has hardly changed since the previous model. There is one difference, however: a USB-C port has replaced the Lightning connector. We are just waiting on the iPhone and AirPods to ditch Lightning now so that we can charge all of our Apple gadgets with one cable.
Future proofed
The big news with the Apple TV 4K 3rd Generation is its significant processor upgrade. It now uses an A15 Bionic processor, the same one found in the iPhone 14. It is joined by 4GB of RAM (up from 3GB last year), and the usability gains are noticeable as the TV 4K flies through menus and frankly refuses to stutter or glitch. Using a processor this modern and powerful means it is likely that this latest model should be capable of handling signifi
