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AppleTV 4K in the test: The best streaming box on the market, but…
The new AppleTV 4K is similar to the last model
© Apple / PR
The new AppleTV 4K is faster, smaller and lighter. And supports other standards. But the most exciting innovation is something else.
“I’ve finally cracked it” – with this statement Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced more than a decade ago that he wanted to revolutionize the TV market after the MP3 player and the smartphone. The new AppleTV 4K is rather small as a revolution. Our test reveals whether it’s still worth it.
The fact that Apple is offering a new streaming box came as a surprise. Four years passed before the group presented a new edition last spring. Only 18 months have passed. Nevertheless, the box has only changed in detail. The design has basically remained the same. The roughly palm-sized box is still very discreet, but has become a bit smaller and lighter, which is noticeable when unpacking it. With a device that is mainly left on a shelf or on the TV bench, this is rather negligible.
The greatest strength remains
The AppleTV’s greatest strength also remains unchanged. The very clear, smooth-to-use interface continues to show almost all content from the various streaming providers side by side. Whether RTL+, Arte, Disney or the company’s own AppleTV+ service: the last viewed content and exciting new products are presented side by side on the interface. The corresponding service only opens when you click on it and then seamlessly plays the desired content. Unfortunately, the only exception is Netflix: Here you have to start the app individually from the app view.
Apple has only changed the good remote control to a small extent. Reduced to six buttons, it can be operated comfortably with a small touch surface in the navigation field, important buttons such as start/stop, a volume rocker and a mute button are available as separate buttons. The only innovation: Charging is now via USB-C instead of Apple’s own Lightning connector. Since the right cables can be found in most households and charging is not necessary too often, the changeover is very limited.
Faster than ever
The innovations inside are a bit bigger. While the last model still had the four-year-old A12 chip from the iPhone XS, this year Apple is catching up with a current iPhone for the first time: The A15 of the new AppleTV 4K also powers the iPhone 14. Only the iPhone 14 Pro has an even faster one Processor.
In everyday life, however, this is less noticeable. Although Apple promises up to 50 percent more processor and even 30 percent more graphics performance, the previous model could hardly be pushed to its limits with the available apps. There are no resource-hungry programs such as photo or video editing for the AppleTV. Games run buttery smooth across the screen as expected. The biggest plus of the new chip is probably its economy: According to Apple, the chip consumes up to 30 percent less power. In view of the electricity prices, this is a welcome innovation.
Whether something changes when watching TV depends on your own television. Like the last two models, the AppleTV supports 4K content. The HDR10+ picture standard is new, which allows an even more differentiated display of color and brightness differences and a higher maximum brightness on compatible televisions. Last year’s model already supported the competitor standard Dolby Vision. This is good news for owners of HDR10+ capable TVs.
Only at Apple
Loyal Apple fans in particular will benefit from some of the functions. The AppleTV is still the only way to use the Apple Fitness+ sports service coupled with the Apple Watch on the television. Apple music and photos taken with the iPhone can also be seamlessly exchanged between the iPhone and AppleTV and enjoyed on the big screen.
The simple connection with Apple’s headphones also remains well solved. If Airpods linked to the account are detected nearby, the AppleTV offers to connect them with a push of the button. And then outputs the sound directly through the headphones. This is a great effect, especially with modern Airpods such as the new Airpods Pro (here in our test): the surround sound adjusts the sound when the head moves, it always looks like it is coming from the TV.
A fully-fledged smart home costs more
Too bad: The modern smart home standard Thread is only supported by the more expensive model, and there is only an Ethernet connection on this one. However, the surcharge is moderate: For 20 euros more, you also get twice the storage capacity.
The price is a pleasant surprise anyway: While almost all new Apple devices have just become significantly more expensive, the AppleTV 4K is even falling in price. For the “small” model with 64 GB of memory, Apple is now charging 169 euros, the predecessor started at 199 euros with half the memory. With thread, Ethernet and 128 GB, the fully equipped model costs 189 euros, which is still less than the cheapest previous model at the start of sales.
Conclusion: A strong upgrade – but still expensive
The new AppleTV 4K is a classic product update: It looks very similar, but with the new, economical chip, support for HDR10+ and more memory, it has welcome innovations. The fact that the prices are surprisingly falling makes it the most attractive AppleTV in years.
Nevertheless, one cannot recommend it unreservedly. Because: Most of the functions of the AppleTV already come with modern televisions, streaming sticks from the competition such as the FireTV stick cost a fraction of the AppleTV 4K. Ultimately, everyone has to decide for themselves whether the admittedly much more pleasant operation of the AppleTV is worth the hefty surcharge.