With Apple promising that its latest Apple TV 4K will deliver the brand’s “most immersive home theater experience yet,” we’re intrigued to see how it compares to the previous iteration.
Should you upgrade if you have a 2022 Apple TV 4K (3rd generation)? Or could the older model be a more affordable alternative to the fourth generation?
Ahead of our review, we compared the specs of the Apple TV 4K (4th Gen) to the Apple TV 4K (3rd Gen) to help you decide which streamer is best for you. For more options, visit our collection of the best streaming devices.
Price and availability
The Apple TV 4K (4th generation) has an RRP of £299/$299 and is currently available for pre-order ahead of its official launch on 13 November.
Unsurprisingly, the older Apple TV 4K (3rd Gen) is no longer available to buy directly from Apple, but it’s still possible to pick up the streamer from third-party sellers. Its exact price will vary, but we’ve seen the 3rd generation retail for around £249.
4th Gen has Siri AI
One of the biggest updates with the Apple TV 4K (4th generation) is that it now has Siri AI, Apple’s relaunched voice assistant that officially launched back in September. Apple hailed Siri AI as a “significantly more capable and conversational” assistant and, while we haven’t specifically reviewed it inside the Apple TV 4K (4th generation) ourselves, our home tech editor, Dave Ludlow, praised Siri AI for showing signs of promise and being a much-needed upgrade over its predecessor.
Basically, users can ask Siri AI questions to find a new show or movie or learn more about a title. Apple gives the example that you can check if something is suitable for a 15-year-old or ask where a series was filmed. Additionally, when paired with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone, Siri AI can enter your personal context and answer questions like “play the series a friend recommended.”
In comparison, the Apple TV 4K (3rd Gen) does not support Siri AI and uses the original Siri instead. This means you can control the streamer and find a show simply by using your voice, but you won’t benefit from the smarter Siri AI.
4th Gen offers hands-free voice control
Both the 4th and 3rd generation require their remotes to activate Siri, but the newer iteration benefits from an upgraded version. So, while the third-generation remote requires you to press a dedicated Siri button to interact with the voice assistant, the new Apple TV 4K remote is equipped with three far-field microphones. This allows you to talk to Siri completely hands-free. The remote also features advanced echo cancellation to isolate the user’s voice from background noise.
While the 4th generation remote looks similar to its predecessor, it also benefits from Find My support which plays a sound on the remote even when it’s lost.
The 4th Gen can be paired with up to four HomePod Mini 2s for a surround sound experience
In a first for Apple TV 4K, you can now create a four-speaker surround sound experience when paired with multiple new HomePod Mini 2s.
Apple explains that the HomePod Mini 2’s four speakers will work with the Apple TV 4K to recognize their position in the room, so timing and sound levels will be calibrated to the space. Additionally, you can use an older HomePod as long as the front and rear speaker pairs match.
4th Gen promises faster navigation and better responsiveness
Powering the Apple TV 4K (4th generation) is Apple’s A19 chip, which the brand promises will deliver up to 50% faster CPU performance and up to 2x faster GPU performance than the third-generation A15 chip. This should result in greater responsiveness, faster navigation and smoother animations.
The A19 chip also includes a new AV1 decoder that Apple promises “more efficient high-quality streaming” while using less bandwidth.
Both can be used as smart home hubs
Both Apple TV 4K (4th generation) and its predecessor allow you to manage and control paired compatible smart home devices directly from your TV. This means you can see doorbell notifications, check security camera feeds and even unlock smart locks to let someone in.
However, benefiting from built-in Siri AI, the new 4th generation model now supports automation, guest mode and enhanced video descriptions of camera activity generated by Apple Intelligence and summary notifications.
Early judgment
With Siri AI, hands-free voice control and the promise of faster navigation, the Apple TV 4K (4th generation) is a solid improvement over its predecessor. However, it remains to be seen whether there are enough upgrades and differences to justify spending money on a new model if you already have an Apple TV 4K (3rd generation).
We’ll be sure to update this with the Apple TV 4K (4th Gen) review.
