Apple TV 4K 3rd Generation): Best for the Apple-Centric

A powerful, feature-rich media streamer that’s pricier than most

- WILL GREENWALD

The Apple TV media hub has been losing ground the last few years to competitors that are nearly as good and dramatically less expensive. Apple seeks to address some of these issues with the third-generation Apple TV 4K, which features a faster processor, a smaller profile, and—most important—a significant price cut. The Apple TV 4K starts at $129, which is $50 less than the previous generation and $10 less than the Amazon Fire TV Cube ($139.99). It lacks the hands-free voice control of the Fire TV Cube, however, and still costs more than twice as much as compelling options such as the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K and the Chromecast With Google TV 4K (both $49.99). Given its premium price and targeted compatibility within its own ecosystem, the thirdgen Apple TV 4K remains best reserved for dedicated Apple households.

A SMALLER PUCK AND A USB-C REMOTE

The Apple TV 4K is a puck-like device with the same rounded corners, matte-black finish, and unobtrusively flat profile as the previous version. You easily might think they were the same, but this one is a bit smaller, measuring 1.2 by 3.7 by 3.7 inches HWD) versus 1.4 by 3.9 by 3.9 inches for the outgoing model. An indicator LED sits on the front, while the back houses the power connector and an HDMI port and an Ethernet port if you get the 149 Ethernet model).

Internally, the Apple TV 4K uses the A15 Bionic chip, the same processor in the iPhone 14 and an upgrade from the A12 Bionic used in the previous model. The Wi-Fi-only variant includes 64GB of storage, while the Ethernet-equipped version upgrades storage to 128GB. Both models support Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax) with 2x2 MIMO, Bluetooth 5.0, and infrared.