Neil Hughes
If you owned the previous fourth-generation Apple TV with Siri remote, you'll be hard pressed to find any differences with the new fifth-generation Apple TV 4K, aside from a white, raised ring around the Menu button on the remote.
While you can't really tell in pictures, the ring around the Menu button is slightly raised above the rest of the button (but is a part of the button, so it all presses in).
This is helpful when picking up the largely symmetrical remote, allowing a user to feel for the appropriate button and figure out orientation in the dark, much like the raised bumps on the 'F' and 'J' keys on a keyboard let users know where to place their index fingers for typing.
The only other external change to the hardware is on the back of the Apple TV itself, where Apple has removed the USB-C diagnostic port.
The set-top box retains an ethernet port, which has now been upgraded to full gigabit. It also maintains an HDMI port as well as power, and there is no optical audio output.
Also in the box is a Lightning cable, which is used for recharging the Siri remote, and a power cable.
Setting up the Apple TV is about as simple as can be — tvOS prompts the user to hold their iPhone near the device with Bluetooth enabled and home Wi-Fi connected, and the pairing process begins almost instantaneously. If you have a previous fourth-generation Apple TV and have home screen sync enabled, your TV apps and games will all automatically download and organize in the same way they were before.
Powered by the same beefy A10X chip as the latest iPad Pros, the new Apple TV 4K feels snappier when navigating and launching apps. And services like iTunes and Netflix offer gorgeous 4K content with HDR, taking advantage of newer television sets with high quality picture capabilities.
AppleInsider will have much more on the Apple TV 4K in the coming days and weeks, including our in-depth review.
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
AppleInsider Staff
Chip Loder
Malcolm Owen
25 Comments
But, but Google 4K! But, but Atmos! But, but, 4K downloads. And no optical out and no USB for external storage, and no Safari browser and... Just file thirteen this thing, Apple. The AI tech experts have pronounced it DOA, not worth even considering.
Have been looking forward to a more beefier 4K HDR Apple TV for a long time now. Can’t wait to get my hands on it as we AirPlay and stream everything. 100% use of our TV in the house is as described above as we have had no cable TV or DVD player for about six years now.
They also changed the bottom of the Apple TV adding vents for airflow I assume to keep the a10x cool
Went to a local Apple Store and tried out the remote, the ring definitely makes it easier to orient the remote. I also wanted to play a 4K movie to see the sharpness, and of course they didn't have any sample purchases. So I tried the trailers in the 4K category, unfortunately the trailers weren't in 4K and I could clearly see blotchy patterns with 1080 detail, the UI was clearly in 4K and super sharp but no real 4K demo. It seems the Apple TV demo units are not well represented.
Well my wishlist consists of things that would benefit everyone.
an M-processor for detecting motion. Will be great for games and fitness apps.
Taptic Engine for smooth feedback and gaming.
3D touch for functions and (again)gaming.
I was looking at the ring on my iPhone when it hit me...
I believe that ring on the Apple TV Remote was originally placed for TouchID which may have been cancelled last minute.
This complain in every TV discussion...
why don’t you guys get a remote cover? They’re awesome looking, customize your remote, add protection and fix the orientation problem %100.
There’s some with straps, magnets, bumpers for protectinon and some even glow in the dark!