New Apple TV 4K: Everything you need to know

Apple has announced a new generation of the Apple TV 4K – which comes in at a cheaper price tag than previous models in the range, despite having the most powerful performance yet.

The Apple TV is an impressive media streaming box with access to a wide range of apps and streaming services along with premium features like AirPlay 2 and advanced EDID capabilities, but with premium features comes a premium price tag. That’s a bit of a problem for Apple, considering most of the competition costs a fraction of Apple’s streamer.

Whilst this new streaming box is more expensive than the likes of Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, it will still be a welcome addition to those who like to keep all their gadgets in the Apple ecosystem.

Here is everything you need to know about the new Apple TV 4K (2022), including the price, release date and specs. You can also read up on the new iPad range.

When will the new Apple TV 4K (2022) be released?

Apple has confirmed that the new Apple TV will go on sale in the US, UK and other markets on 4 November 2022. Pre-orders are now live on the Apple store in the US and UK.

How much does the new Apple TV 4K (2022) cost?

Apple has confirmed that the new Apple TV 4K costs $129/£149 for the Wi-Fi variant, and $149/£169 for the Wi-Fi + Ethernet version.

This starting price means that this new Apple TV undercuts Apple’s most basic streaming box (in the US, at least), Apple TV HD. This costs £139/$149. Apple hasn’t yet clarified why the UK’s costs are more expensive – but we also saw this price increase trend with other products.

The product is also cheaper than the two last-gen models of Apple TV 4K, 32GB and 64GB, that cost £169/$179 and £189/$199 respectively.

While there aren’t many competitors to the Apple TV 4K and its high-end home theatre standards, complete with advanced EDID capabilities, support for a wide range of codecs and formats – aside from the Nvidia Shield, that is – there are plenty of streamers on the market, and none cost anywhere near as much as the Apple TV range.

Both Amazon and Roku offer 4K media streaming sticks for less than $55/£55 – more than half the price of the new Apple TV 4K (2022). Still, this price drop might encourage more customers to invest in an Apple home entertainment box.

What are the specs of the new Apple TV 4K (2022)?

The Apple TV 4K (2022) adds a brand new chip – the A15 Bionic. Apple claims that this will deliver up too up to 50 percent faster CPU performance and more fluid gameplay, with a 30 percent faster GPU.

Apple has also introduced HRR10+ support, which joins the Dolby Vision support that Apple TV products already boast. For audio, it has has support for Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital 7.1, or Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound.

There are two different versions of the Apple TV 4K (2022), which offer different storage configurations. They are:

• Apple TV 4K (Wi-Fi) – 64GB worth of storage
• Apple TV 4K (Wi-Fi + Ethernet) – 128GB worth of storage

The latter offers more flexibility, with “Gigabit Ethernet for fast networking and streaming [and] thread mesh networking protocol to connect even more smart home accessories”, according to Apple.

The Siri Remote with touch controls and voice support returns once more. The design has one big change from previous generations – it now adopts USB-C charging.

Users will have access to the key Apple apps such as Apple TV+, Apple Music, Apple Arcade and Apple Fitness. Plus, Apple often introduces free trials for some of these services for new customers, and those who purchase a new Apple product.

As usual, the Apple TV will run on Apple’s own custom OS. Apple tvOS 16 will include some new features this fall, with more advanced Siri voice controls that allow the remote to differentiate between users in the household.

Apple TV 4K (2022) can also connect with Apple HomeKit, so users can interact and control smart home products on the big screen. They can also use the streaming box to view iCloud Shared Photo Library on the TV, and use SharePlay on Facetime to simultaneously watch films or TV series with friends and family with other Apple devices remotely.

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