The latest version of Apple’s streaming box comes with some pretty serious features that should make it a worthwhile addition to any Apple fan’s living room.
What Does the New Apple TV Offer?
The new Apple TV 4K comes with an A12 Bionic chip, which offers it quite a bit more power than previous Apple TV devices. You should see a boost in graphics performance, video decoding, and audio processing, which will create a better experience for both gaming and watching video content on the set-top box.
With the new chip, Apple TV can support both Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision. It also supports 4K High Frame Rate HDR at 60FPS. Before the release, rumors abounded that it might support 120FPS, but that didn’t end up being the case.
Apple says that it’s working with content creators like NBCUniversal and Fox Sports to bring 4K High Frame Rate HDR streaming content to market.
A remarkable feature offered by the new Apple TV is how it works with iPhone to create a better picture. It uses the iPhone’s light sensors to optimize picture quality based on the lighting in the room, which is really neat.
As exciting as all that is, the new Sire-powered remote grabbed everyone’s attention at Apple’s event. It features a new click-pad control with five-way navigation and actual buttons. Apple promises better accuracy when browsing content on Apple TV. You can scrub your finger along the outer ring of the click-pad to jog forward and backward.
Apple added buttons for turning a TV on and off. There’s also a Mute button. To create a more comfortable feel, Apple moved the Siri button to the side of the remote. On top of all that, it looks more comfortable than previous Apple TV remotes, though we’ll have to get our hands on it to see for sure.
Sixth-Generation Apple TV Availability
Apple announced that preorders for the new Apple TV would start on April 30, so you won’t need to wait too long to lock one in. From there, the company says that it’ll ship in the second half of May.
The device will launch in two different configurations. First, there’s the cheaper 32GB version that’ll sell for $179. From there, you can jump to the 64GB model for $199.
Outside of the actual Apple TV box, the company is also selling the new Siri-powered remote separately for $59. It works with previous Apple TV generations, so if you’re not thrilled with your existing remote, you can upgrade to one of these without buying a whole new Apple TV.
