Apple's latest streaming device, the second generation of the Apple TV 4K, hits store shelves on Friday. The new version starts at $179 (£169, AU$249), the same price as its predecessor, offers many of the same features and lives in an identical-looking black box. The most notable improvements are faster processor and, crucially, a revamped Siri remote.
While I've only had the new Apple TV 4K for about a day, the remote is already a big upgrade compared to the controversial, trackpad-driven controller it replaces. Here are my quick first thoughts on the latest Apple TV 4K and especially that remote.
'Finally!'
That word sums up the reaction of many longtime Apple TV fans when they first heard about the new remote. The black glass remote bundled with the older Apple TV had a sleek-looking design, but a slippery, imprecise trackpad was its downfall. I constantly found myself struggling with basic navigation tasks using the older remote. The trackpad's sensitivity caused me to overshoot menu items like movies, apps, TV shows or text, making even the simplest scrolls and selections a chore to control.
That's a thing of the past with the new Siri Remote. Bundled with new Apple TV purchases, or available as a separate $59 (£55, AU$79) upgrade that works with the older Apple TV, the new remote replaces that trackpad with something Apple calls a "clickpad." It's basically a circular controller that combines a touchpad with directional buttons you can actually click.
Even in just a few hours of use, I found myself greatly appreciating the return of the button-based directional controls. I also like that Apple didn't completely remove touchpad functionality, which is useful for quickly scrolling through a list or playing certain Apple Arcade games.
If you hate the touchpad you'll be pleased to know that Apple does allow you to disable the feature in the Remote and Devices section of the Settings menu.
The new Siri Remote, left, compared to the older Apple TV remote.
Eli Blumenthal/CNETIn addition to the clickpad, the new remote also features three new (and long overdue) buttons for back, mute and controlling your TV's power. The Siri button, previously on the front, has been relegated to the right-hand side, similar to its location on iPhones. Unlike Roku's $30 Voice Remote Pro upgrade, the microphone inside the Siri Remote isn't "always listening." Instead you'll still need to press and hold to summon Apple's virtual assistant.
The new remote continues to be charged through Apple's Lightning charger and a cable is included in the Apple TV 4K box or if you buy a remote separately. The Siri Remote is a bit longer and thicker than the older Apple TV remote, but it felt much more comfortable to hold. Hopefully, the larger size and silver coloring will make it harder to lose inside the couch cushions.
But remotes get lost and, unlike Roku, Apple doesn't include any kind of remote finder with its clicker. That's a big missed opportunity, especially with Apple building out its Find My app with AirTags. Why not integrate that technology, with its U1 chip, into this remote? Doing so wouldn't only be a nice selling point to lure people over from other players, but really justify the $59 from existing Apple TV owners.
If only Apple baked the AirTag into the actual remote.
Eli Blumenthal/CNETFor now, I'm thinking of taping an AirTag to it, with the hope that someone comes out with a decent case that lets me combine the AirTag with the new remote. A few people have taken to 3D printing AirTag cases for the older Apple TV controller.
It's what's inside the box that counts
Whereas the remote got an overhaul, the Apple TV 4K's actual box looks virtually identical to the square black puck of its predecessor. There are no new ports along its glossy sides and the rear of the device still houses ports for power, HDMI-out and Ethernet.
The Apple TV runs on the latest version of the TVOS software, with the same tile-heavy interface that has been featured on Apple TVs for years. It will work well with Apple services like Arcade, Apple TV Plus, Apple Music and Fitness Plus and the software also supports all the major streaming services including Netflix, Disney Plus, HBO Max, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube TV and Sling TV.
Setting up the device was simple. My iPhone quickly acknowledged it with a pop-up appearing to sync my iCloud account and Wi-Fi settings to the Apple TV. The device even pulled in apps from my old Apple TV, but I still needed to manually log back in to apps like Netflix and Disney Plus.
Under the hood, the Apple TV 4K has received a sizeable boost in the form of an upgrade to the company's A12 Bionic processor. The older box, which was first introduced in 2017, ran on what's now an aging A10X chip.
While I had no problems quickly opening up various apps and streaming services in my brief use of the new Apple TV 4K, the real test will be in how the device handles more intensive tasks like gaming. Apple Arcade recently added several big titles that seem perfect for the big screen such as Fantasian and a special edition of NBA 2K21 and I'm curious to see how they perform.
I'm not expecting graphics or performance to match next-gen consoles like the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series S and Series X, but the new chip could be the boost Arcade needs to make a case for the living room. When Apple added a version of the A12 to the iPad Pro in 2018 it touted a comparison to the Xbox One S, and that type of performance could go a long way in justifying the $179 starting price this box commands for its 32GB version -- a 64GB model is $199 (£189, AU$279).
Apple says the new box will also be able to support high-frame-rate HDR video, but I haven't found many apps that take advantage of the feature, at least not right now.
Apple's WWDC event is set to take place in early June, so it's possible we'll learn more about developer support for both games and high-frame-rate apps at that time.
That's it for my first impressions. Stay tuned for a full review on CNET soon.
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Apple TV 4K hands-on: New remote runs circles around the original - CNET
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