The embargo has lifted on reviews of the new Apple TV 4K, a fairly minor refresh to the streaming box with an A12 chip for faster performance and a redesigned Siri Remote with a new clickpad for five-way navigation.

apple tv 4k design triad
Most customers will begin receiving their new Apple TV 4K this Friday, and ahead of time, we've rounded up reviews and unboxing videos below.

Andru Edwards said the new Apple TV is "noticeably faster" at opening apps, and he said the new Siri Remote offers a better experience:


Jacob Krol at CNN Underscored echoed that the A12 chip is faster, but he said it's "not a night and day difference." He said the main benefit of the new chip and newly-added HDMI 2.1 support is the ability to play HDR content at a higher 60 frames per second:

Things like action sports or racing can take advantage of this to make the content more immersive or lifelike. It's a future-proofing move and many major sports channels plan to start broadcasting or streaming with it. Right now, you'll need a TV that can handle it along with this Apple TV 4K — oh, and yes, content that supports it. We were able to try out RedBull TV during our testing window for some intense action sports, and the broadcast was really smooth — though it won't be evident to the untrained eye.

The new Apple TV 4K is priced at $179 with 32GB of storage or $199 with 64GB of storage. MobileSyrup's Patrick O'Rourke said the Apple TV still remains very expensive relative to other streaming boxes and sticks, but he believes the price is justified:

Over the years, I've spent a lot of time with other streaming devices, but always find myself coming back to the Apple TV because it's the most reliable platform I've encountered, it often gets app updates first and new streaming platforms frequently arrive on Apple's set-top box earlier than other devices, particularly in Canada. This was the case with Bell-owned Crave as well as several other apps. Don't get me wrong, it would be great to see a price cut to the streaming box and its new Siri Remote, but in a sense, you really do get what you pay for with the Apple TV 4K (2021).

Rene Ritchie at iMore did have one criticism of the new Siri Remote, that being the Back button, previously known as the Home button:

What it won't solve for is the Home button. Apple's renamed it Back, but like the Android back button of old, it's more like a random action button. If you're watching a video in the TV app, and you press it, you get an option bar on the bottom of the screen. Then you have to press it again to exit. But if you press it in, say Netflix or Disney+, you're insta-dumped out of the video. On YouTube, back will dismiss the overlay. In Prime Video, it'll insta-dump you.

More written reviews:

More video reviews and unboxings:






The new Apple TV 4K has been available to order since April 30, and it will go on sale at most Apple Store locations starting May 21. The older Apple TV HD remains available for $149 and now ships with the redesigned Siri Remote.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Tag: Reviews
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)

Top Rated Comments

robjulo Avatar
51 months ago
Just like the iPad unboxing article a day or two ago, same handful of shills, same fake looks of surprise and joy.
Score: 35 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cardfan Avatar
51 months ago
Same garbage reviewers..lol
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jetjaguar Avatar
51 months ago
All of their YouTube thumbnails are the same
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jpurnell Avatar
51 months ago

Question as a non-Apple TV user: will using an Apple TV bypass "smart tv" privacy concerns? I.e. will Samsung or Sony still be able to monetize/track our family's viewing, etc? Or does it essentially allow the TV to be dumb?
Yes…my TV is completely disconnected from the internet, and the Apple TV handles everything.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sebosz Avatar
51 months ago

Question as a non-Apple TV user: will using an Apple TV bypass "smart tv" privacy concerns? I.e. will Samsung or Sony still be able to monetize/track our family's viewing, etc? Or does it essentially allow the TV to be dumb?
It’s basically just HDMI video signal, so IMO you can even disconnect your tv from the internet and it’s gonna work like a charm.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Wackery Avatar
51 months ago

All of their YouTube thumbnails are the same
No! They’re all ~~**creative**~~
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iphone 17 dummies sonny dickson

iPhone 17 Air Almost as Thin as Its Buttons, New Images Show

Thursday April 24, 2025 2:14 am PDT by
If you missed the video showing dummy models of Apple's all-new super thin iPhone 17 Air that's expected later this year, Sonny Dickson this morning shared some further images of the device in close alignment with the other dummy models in the iPhone 17 lineup, indicating just how thin it is likely to be in comparison. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be around 5.5mm thick – with a thicker ...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iphone 17 air dummy unbox therapy

iPhone 17 Air's Extreme Thinness Demoed in New Video

Tuesday April 22, 2025 10:22 am PDT by
Apple plans to release an all-new super thin iPhone this year, debuting it alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. We've seen pictures of dummy models, cases, and renders with the design, but Lewis Hilsenteger of Unbox Therapy today showed off newer dummy models that give us a better idea of just how thin the "iPhone 17 Air" will be. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be ...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
ipad air windows 11 arm

M2 iPad Air Runs Windows 11 ARM via Emulation, Thanks to EU Rules

Tuesday April 22, 2025 5:01 am PDT by
A developer has demonstrated Windows 11 ARM running on an M2 iPad Air using emulation, which has become much easier since the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations came into effect. As spotted by Windows Latest, NTDev shared an instance of the emulation on social media and posted a video on YouTube (embedded below) demonstrating it in action. The achievement relies on new EU regulatory...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Air Launching Later This Year With These 16 New Features

Thursday April 24, 2025 8:24 am PDT by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the ultra-thin device. Overall, the iPhone 17 Air sounds like a mixed bag. While the device is expected to have an impressively thin and light design, rumors indicate it will have some compromises compared to iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, a...
Global Close Your Rings Day Pin

Apple Stores Giving Away a Limited-Edition Pin For Free Today

Thursday April 24, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Starting today, April 24, Apple Stores around the world are giving away a special pin for free to customers who request one, while supplies last. Photo Credit: Filip Chudzinski The enamel pin's design is inspired by the Global Close Your Rings Day award in the Activity app, which Apple Watch users can receive by closing all three Activity rings today. The limited-edition pin is the physical...
Apple Logo Spotlight Blue

White House Hits Back at Apple's Massive EU Fine

Thursday April 24, 2025 5:57 am PDT by
Apple's $570 million fine from the EU has triggered a sharp rebuke from the White House, which called the fine a form of economic extortion, Reuters reports. The fine was announced on Wednesday by the European Commission, following a formal investigation into Apple's compliance with the bloc's Digital Markets Act (DMA), a landmark piece of legislation aimed at curbing the market dominance of ...