Apple TV 4K
Apple’s streaming box gets a 4K boost
From £179 from Apple, apple.com/uk Features 4K Ultra HD & HDR, Dolby Vision, Siri, A10X Fusion chip, 802.11ac Wi-Fi with MIMO, 32 or 64GB storage
Have you been tempted to invest in a 4K HDR TV recently? If you have, the new Apple TV 4K will be an excellent complementary purchase. This latest model can handle all 4K content, with HDR10 and Dolby Vision supported – and (depending on the TV you’ve connected it to) the pictures look sublime, with everything from the interface to the flyover screensavers upgraded to pack in more pixels.
The new box comes in two storage options: 32GB (£179) and 64GB (£199). Apple has recently raised the size limit for apps permitted on the box to 4GB, so if you’re thinking of having this as a micro-console then you might want to scale up to be on the safe side.
In the US, coverage of live sports has been enhanced to deliver tailored content – you can now see live scores and be notified of exciting moments in games that the Apple TV thinks you might like. Hopefully, this will make it UK-side in the near future.
We found the Apple TV 4K a touch slow when transitioning between apps or calling up different shows, but the interface was snappy when we started to stream. This lag can be irritating, but it was a minor occurrence overall.
The Apple TV 4K as a central hub makes a lot of sense. Not only can it control your HomeKit devices, but the ease with which an iPhone or iPad syncs with the Apple TV is impressive. Screen mirroring is instant, and makes it really easy to share content on the big screen.
Design & 4K performance
The look of Ultra HD footage is so clear and crisp. 4K HDR is just the tops if you’ve got the right TV to watch it on. The beautiful contrasts and the sheer quality of the colours on display are mind-blowing. The Apple TV 4K is the perfect partner for the latest high-end TVs, with the ability to instantly detect what kind of display is on offer and calibrate the output accordingly.
Having Dolby Vision supported alongside HDR10 is a nice move. It’s a shame that Dolby Atmos isn’t supported – it seems pretty likely now, however, that it could be enabled with a codec update in the future.
It’s great to be able to search Netflix through the service from the home screen, or use Siri to dive straight in. Siri isn’t able to find 4K HDR movies and shows, just 4K, but it’s still useful.
Apple has opened a 4K HDR ‘room’ within its iTunes movies app to make it easier to discover the content – and any titles you’ve previously purchased in Full HD will be automatically upgraded to 4K HDR when available. The 4K HDR range is sparse in the UK for now, but this should improve soon.
The Apple TV remote offers a good balance between being lightweight and well made – it’s comfortable to hold, with a tactile, brushed feel and rounded edge. The touchsensitive pad at the top registers the slightest quiver, and clicks to register an input. The remote also boasts Siri control which, for the most part, is brilliant. Downloading apps, restarting a film or just flipping to settings are a simple tap of the Siri button away. That said, Siri isn’t always accurate, particularly when entering passwords.
The Apple TV 4K is designed to function as a music player and a basic console too. Apple’s made a big deal about the new games that are coming to the TV box, with the A10 Fusion chip from last year’s iPad offering better graphical performance.
The motion control of the Siri Remote means the Apple TV has an instant advantage
over other streaming sticks and boxes – while fairly rudimentary, the ability to play tennis games or the fun Beat Sports with actual swings of the hand is great. The Apple TV 4K can also function as a HomeKit hub, and that alone is a good reason to have the box.
However, all this can be found on the previous Apple TV box, which is still on sale. The functionality is excellent and entertaining, but it can be had for cheaper if you’re not bothered about 4K performance. Certainly, if you don’t have a 4K HDR TV it’s hard to recommend the Apple TV 4K, because it really only adds a bit more grunt and higher-res output capabilities.
The speed of the interface is still not perfect but it is better, and the App Store definitely needs more titles, but more are appearing every day now.
If you’ve got any inclination to upgrade to a 4K HDR TV, then the Apple TV 4K is the obvious choice. It’s pricey, but it’s slick, works well with an iOS device (or even a pair of AirPods), and the range of content is good (although it could be better). We’d like to see more powerful games on offer, and an easier way to access 4K HDR content from a variety of providers (Amazon, please!).