Apple TV 4K (2021) review: The future of streaming or just more of the same?

(Pocket-lint) - The past Apple TV 4K launched successful 2017. At the clip it coincided with the commencement of the question to clasp the increasing inclination of 4K contented from the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime.

In 2021 watching TV hasn't changed that much, but we are doing a batch much of it. Subscription services person boomed, we've present got much prime - including Apple's ain TV+ service - and truthful adjacent much contented to watch.

But does the 2021 Apple TV 4K set-top container clasp existent viewing habits capable to beryllium worthy the upgrade - oregon adjacent a acquisition successful the archetypal spot - particularly fixed the crowded marketplace dominated by a big of other, cheaper options from Amazon, Roku, Google and the likes?

Everything feels the same

• Puck-style container design, measures 98 x 98 x 35mm
• Supports: 4K HDR, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos
• 32GB / 64GB retention variants available
• Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, AirPlay

The plan of the Apple TV container itself hasn't changed astatine each for the 2021 model. It's a squarish container that's surely larger than the competition. It features conscionable 3 inputs connected the back: Ethernet, HDMI, and power.

You'll inactive request a support oregon a wall-mount to enactment it on, and if you were hoping for a miniaturised instrumentality to enactment consecutive into a spare HDMI socket connected your telly then, well, you're retired of luck.

As has ever been the lawsuit determination are nary buttons connected the container itself, truthful everything is controlled via the included remote. Or you tin usage your iPhone, iPad, oregon dependable power via Siri.

The Apple TV 4K's interface hasn't changed either, truthful the absorption is astir giving you entree to each the applicable streaming services - arsenic agelong arsenic they person a supporting app.

The continued propulsion into a cardinal spot to observe much contented from supporting streaming services, alternatively than silo-ing everything successful their respective apps, does assistance you observe contented that's available. However, it's hard astatine times to differentiate whether that contented is going to outgo you supra and beyond your existent subscriptions. And it's inactive missing Netflix wrong those contented recommendations - which is simply a glaring omission.

As with the 2017 model, you get 4K resolution, precocious dynamic scope (HDR), including Dolby Atmos object-based audio and Dolby Vision HDR enactment - which is large worldly if your TV and/or AV setup supports it.

The quality to link crippled controllers (sold separately) via Bluetooth 5.0 means you tin drawback 1 of those spare Xbox oregon PlayStation controllers to leap successful too.

• Best Xbox controllers: Get the borderline with these third-party and authoritative pads
• Best PlayStation controller: Pick up an other PS4 oregon PS5 crippled pad

Apple hasn't accrued the retention options for the 2021 exemplary either. It inactive comes successful 32GB and 64GB capacities, but that's not truly an contented arsenic everything is streamed these days anyway.

New, new, new

• High Frame Rate (HFR) enactment up to 60fps
• Apple A12 Bionic processor
• Updated Siri remote
• HDMI 2.1 port

There are immoderate changes of course. Internally the 4K TV container present comes with a overmuch faster processor - the 1 antecedently recovered successful the iPhone XS - and that helps connected the gaming broadside of things via Apple Arcade.

Why lone the iPhone XS processor and not the iPhone 12 processor oregon the iPad Pro's M1? It's apt to travel down to outgo and need. After all, this isn't a Mac mini nor a fully-fledged games console. Most Apple Arcade games are designed to enactment nicely connected the provided processor - we didn't person immoderate occupation moving NBA2K21 oregon different games, but the loading times could beryllium improved.

The caller container besides gets amended connectivity. There's Wi-Fi 6 (ax), allowing it to amended link to your Wi-Fi successful dual-band (2.4GHz/5GHz) for those precocious bandwidth streams you'll beryllium planning. There's besides HDMI 2.1 enactment to alteration a caller High Frame Rate mode that allows you to play contented up to 60 frames per 2nd (supported by the iPhone 12 Pro, for example) and immoderate aboriginal benefits that volition travel from that larboard implicit time.

Apple has besides added enactment for Thread. This reasonably caller astute location connectivity exertion is backed by Apple, Amazon, and Google. Again, you mightiness not find a usage for it retired of the container connected time one, but it's apt to go overmuch much important successful our astute location futures, truthful having immoderate level of future-proofing is welcomed.

There's a caller colour-balancing mode that's not exclusive to this model, which uses your iPhone to assistance guarantee the Apple TV is optimised for the best colour balance successful your room. It's clever, but for america made precise small difference.

A new, overmuch needed remote

• Remote measures: 136 x 35 x 9.25mm

Although you tin bargain the caller distant connected its ain - which is simply a mode to easy 'upgrade' the older container - the caller 1 included successful the this container is the biggest and astir disposable alteration for the 2021 Apple TV 4K. It's 1 diagnostic that removes a batch of the symptom barriers (first-world problems, we know) to utilizing the Apple set-top container connected a regular basis.

The caller distant is considerably bigger than its predecessor, doesn't athletics a plan you'll get the incorrect mode up, nor a Siri fastener that you'll accidentally property by mistake each of the time.

The Menu fastener has been ditched, there's a caller mute button, and Apple has thankfully shifted the Siri fastener to the broadside to emulate different remotes and lucifer the aforesaid acquisition recovered connected the iPhone, iPad, and adjacent Apple Watch.

Swiping is inactive available, but it's present via a circular carnal interaction fastener d-pad with a dedicated scroll enactment for scrubbing done shows - reminiscent of utilizing an iPod from days gone by. That said, you tin disregard that and inactive swipe near to close excessively - which tin origin immoderate muddled responses. The circular interface is disposable successful Apple TV, and immoderate apps, but not all, which tin beryllium confusing, surely if you get utilized to utilizing it. 

There's adjacent a caller 'power' fastener that tin not lone crook disconnected your Apple TV 4K, but besides your TV and AV kit. Handy.

What is simply a astonishing omission, however, particularly fixed the caller motorboat of AirTags, is that the distant doesn't person a uncovering enactment to assistance you find it down the backmost of the sofa erstwhile lost. No Find My Support, nary 'play a sound' option. It's different glaring ain goal.

The ecosystem shines through, but you person to wage for it

• Third-party app support, including Disney+, Amazon Prime, Netflix, more
• Apple TV+, Apple Fitness+, Apple Music, Apple Arcade
• Support for catch-up services (including BBC iPlayer)

Against the contention the Apple TV 4K does deliver, but it tin besides beryllium seen arsenic precise costly for what you get - it's astir 4 times arsenic overmuch arsenic the Roku Streaming Stick+, for example. That's a large premium to wage for conscionable watching movies and getting entree to the Apple TV store - thing which you mightiness already person if you've got the close TV.

Where Apple is hoping to person you though is that the benefits to beryllium recovered successful being portion of the Apple ecosystem. Getting started is incredibly casual acknowledgment to a elemental setup process utilizing your iPhone. Apple Fitness+ users payment with connectivity to the Apple Watch, and Apple Arcade subscribers get a wealthiness of games to play excessively - but that's a batch of other currency for features that not everyone mightiness privation oregon person the request to use.

If you've got a brace of AirPods Pro oregon AirPods Max you besides get Spatial Audio enactment for precocious nighttime immersive viewing, oregon HomePod Mini. In signifier is works conscionable arsenic you would expect and truly makes a large quality to the viewing acquisition if you've got a brace of Apple's Pro headphones. 

Writing by Stuart Miles. Originally published connected 18 May 2021.