The iPhone proved the future of mobile was apps. Can the fourth generation Apple TV do the same for television?
For the last few years, Apple TV has been the only way I've watched movies and TV shows at home. Since I live outside the U.S., that's primarily meant iTunes, Netflix, and AirPlay from the local network apps on my iPhone and iPad. It's been good enough, at least, that I've never felt the need to go running back to cable. But I've always wanted more.
As the months and years ticked by from the last Apple TV refresh in March of 2012, I've increasingly wanted a modern box set free of its limitations and allowed to truly deliver on its iOS foundations—the same foundations that power the tremendous platform behind the iPhone and iPad. And now, with the fourth generation Apple TV, Apple is delivering something that promises to be just that. It's been a long time coming. Too long, frankly. But is it really, finally here?
Note: The Apple TV content story, like every set top box content story, remains a U.S.-centric one. While I had a chance to use the new Apple TV in the U.S. for a few days during the launch, I don't get to live with or experience it every day. So, for a complete picture of how the new Apple TV works in the United States, and how well the content delivers there, please see my colleague, Serenity Caldwell's, forthcoming review.
FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT:
- 1080p 60fps.
- Internet video.
- Apps on the TV.
- iOS-style gaming.
- Siri voice control.
NOT FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT:
- 4K.
- Video recording.
- Amazon on the TV.
- PS4- or Xbox One-style gaming.
- "Always listening" voice control.
Bottom Line
The fourth generation Apple TV was both too long in coming and too quick out the door. Frustratingly rough edges abound. Yet it manages to deliver something truly remarkable: A solid experience out of the box, and an amazing foundation for the future. If you want iTunes, Netflix, and more on your television, Siri voice control and full-on apps, you want the new Apple TV.
Apple TV Table of Contents
Apple TV Evolution
 |  |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple TV 1 | Apple TV 2 | Apple TV 3 | Apple TV 4 | |
| Code name | K66 | J33 | J42 | |
| OS | OS X Tiger-based | iOS-based | iOS-based | tvOS |
| Max video | 720p | 720p | 1080p | 1080p 60fps |
| Max audio | Dolby Digital 5.1 | Dolby Digital 5.1 | Dolby Digital 5.1 | Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 |
| Chipset | Intel Pentium M | 32-bit Apple A4 | Single core 32-bit Apple A5 | 64-bit dual-core Apple A8 |
| Memory | 256 MB | 512 MB | 512 MB | 2 GB |
| Storage | 40 GB/160 GB hard drive | 8 GB Flash | 8 GB Flash | 32 GB/64 GB Flash |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11n | 802.11n | 802.11n | 802.11ac |
| Bluetooth | N/A | Bluetooth | Bluetooth | Bluetooth 4.0 |
| Ethernet | 10/100Base-T | 10/100Base-T | 10/100Base-T | 10/100Base-T |
| Outputs | HDMI component video optical audio analog audio | HDMI optical audio | HDMI optical audio | HDMI 1.4 |
| Diagnostics | USB | MicroUSB | MicroUSB | USB-C |
| Remote | Apple Remote | Apple Remote 2 | Apple Remote 2 | Siri Remote |
| Height | 1.1 inches (28 mm) | 0.9 inches (23 mm) | 0.9 inches (23 mm) | 1.4 inches (39 mm) |
| Width | 7.7 inches (197 mm) | 3.9 inches (98 mm) | 3.9 inches (98 mm) | 3.9 inches (98 mm) |
| Depth | 7.7 inches (197 mm) | 3.9 inches (98 mm) | 3.9 inches (98 mm) | 3.9 inches (98 mm) |
| Weight | 2.4 lbs (1089 g) | 0.6 lbs (272 g) | 0.6 lbs (272 g) | 0.9 lbs (425 g) |
| Development | None | Partner TVML | Partner TVML | Open TVML/tvOS |
| Release date | 1/9/2007 | 9/1/2010 | 3/7/2012 | 10/30/2015 |
Apple TV Box
The 2015 Apple TV box looks identical to the 2012 and 2010 Apple TV boxes, at least from the top. Same black finish. Same rounded rectangular shape. Same shiny Apple TV logotype. It's only when you look at it in all three dimensions that the differences become apparent.
The biggest change, of course, was from the 2007 Apple TV to the 2010. Not only did the box shed it's "lobot" version of OS X Tiger for iOS under the hood, it shed its old, wide, hard drive-encasing silver enclosure for the little black number that it's kept ever since. Unlike 2012, however, when the size stayed exactly the same, this year's fourth generation Apple TV has grown up. Literally.
It's still 98 mm (3.9 inches) square, but it's 35 mm (1.4 inches) tall now. That's an increase of 16 mm (0.5 inches) from the last model, and it makes it heavier as well, at 425 g (0.9 lbs), an increase of 153 g (0.3 lbs). Since you don't have to carry it around, though, it really doesn't matter much.