CHANGING THE WAY WE CONSUME CONTENT
Apple has described the new Apple TV 4K box as an “entertainment powerhouse” that brings together the best video and audio capabilities to the biggest screen in the home. What’s perhaps most important to note is that, even with the very best box from Apple, you’re still at the mercy of your sound system and your television unit. Over the years, there had been speculation that Apple would launch its own television set to compete against the likes of Samsung, but for now, the company’s happy selling its boxes to plug into third-party units. The new Apple TV 4K features the power of the A15 Bionic chip, which makes the device even more energy efficient than before, whilst CPU performance is up 50% on the previous generation, and GPU performance is up 30%. Support for HDR10+, combined with Dolby Vision, means that the Apple TV box can deliver the eye-popping details and vibrant colors intended by content creators, even more so when paired with Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital 7.1, or Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound for truly immersive audio experiences when watching movies.
Apple hasn’t made any changes to the Siri Remote this time round - it had previously been reported that the company would introduce a new ergonomic fingerprint rest but it does still offer a touch-enabled click pad that provides speed, fluidity, and precise control to easily navigate the simple, elegant user interface of Apple TV. Another report had suggested that Apple would add Find My integration to make it easier to find the
remote, but it appears that this has been put on pause for the time being - Apple could choose to add it in a future release. Indeed, an Apple executive discussed the rumors and said there was “no need”.
BUILT INTO THE APPLE ECOSYSTEM
One of the reasons why so many people choose Apple TV to be front and center of their living rooms is the deep integration with other Apple devices. Indeed, it’s why the Apple Watch and Macbook families have seen explosive growth in recent years - you simply cannot compete with Apple’s cross-platform integration and support. From the moment you take your Apple TV out of the box, you’ll start a magical setup process with your iphone, and you’ll be able to control your TV at any time
with the Apple TV Remote in Control Center - convenience and user experience always come first when you invest in Apple products.
As you might expect, the hardware offers Apple Music support, allowing users to explore a catalog of over 100 million songs and stream them onto their TV. Apple TV+ has also seen some significant growth in recent months, and shows like the Oscar Best Picture winner CODA and record-breaking Emmy Award winner
Ted Lasso have had people signing up for the service in their droves. Other hits include Severance, Shantaram, Bad Sisters, and Mythic Quest, and from next year, Apple will offer Friday Night Baseball, and Major League Soccer matches in the United States from 2023. The best part? When you buy an Apple TV, you’ll get an extended free trial of the service if you’re
not already using it - between three and six months. Another Apple service that cannot be ignored on Apple TV is Apple Arcade, allowing you to play hundreds of immersive games with your family, from NBA 2K23 Arcade Edition to Sneaky Sasquatch. There’s multiplayer support, and you can start a game on your ipad and pick up where you left off on your Apple TV, and even use console controllers. Finally, Apple Fitness+ allows users to access a library of content in 4K Ultra High Definition with over 3,000 studio-style workouts and meditations and paired with an Apple Watch, personalized real-time metrics automatically display on Apple TV as well as iphones and ipads.
Apple will also release tvos 16 in the coming weeks, offering new updates to Siri to make it easier to use your voice to control your device. For the first time, Siri will recognize each user’s voice, offering tailored recommendations, and users will be able to use their Airpods to control their Apple TV. Other new features include icloud Shared Photo Library to share your favorite vacation snaps on the big screen. Thanks to cross-device connectivity on Apple TV 4K, developers will offer personalized experiences between iphone and Apple
Watch apps. Finally, Shareplay adds Facetime integration for the first time, so users can watch together and enjoy each other’s reactions, even when they’re miles apart.
Apple’s ramping up Homekit support on the new Apple TV, making it a new ‘home hub’ for families. Users can connect compatible innovative home accessories to their Apple TV and control their home when they’re home and away, creating ‘scenes’ for movie nights and
the morning rush. Apple TV 4K also plays a role in Matter, the new smart home connectivity standard that allows a wide variety of accessories to work together seamlessly across platforms. When users view their Homekit camera on the new Apple TV, they can control nearby accessories and show multiple cameras simultaneously on the TV screen for a complete view. Homekit Secure Video will automatically detect people, animals, cars, and package deliveries and send notifications to iphones and Apple Watches accordingly.
The new Apple TV makes home entertainment even more immersive and engaging, allowing us to enjoy our favorite shows, music, games, and movies without disruption or compromise.