Optus Mobile Review ALDI Mobile Review Amaysim Mobile Review Belong Mobile Review Circles.Life Review Vodafone Mobile Review Woolworths Mobile Review Felix Mobile Review Best iPhone Plans Best Family Mobile Plans Best Budget Smartphones Best Prepaid Plans Best SIM-Only Plans Best Plans For Kids And Teens Best Cheap Mobile Plans Telstra vs Optus Mobile Optus NBN Review Belong NBN Review Vodafone NBN Review Superloop NBN Review Aussie BB NBN Review iiNet NBN Review MyRepublic NBN Review TPG NBN Review Best NBN Satellite Plans Best NBN Alternatives Best NBN Providers Best Home Wireless Plans What is a Good NBN Speed? Test NBN Speed How to speed up your internet Optus vs Telstra Broadband ExpressVPN Review CyberGhost VPN Review NordVPN Review PureVPN Review Norton Secure VPN Review IPVanish VPN Review Windscribe VPN Review Hotspot Shield VPN Review Best cheap VPN services Best VPN for streaming Best VPNs for gaming What is a VPN? VPNs for ad-blocking Considering seemingly everything else has been getting more expensive this year (including Apple’s services and iPads), a new product costing less than its predecessor is noteworthy in itself. The 2022 Apple TV 4K is still firmly in the premium space, but it represents more value than ever. Extra storage doesn’t really matter that much if you’re predominantly using your Apple TV 4K as a streaming device to watch content, whether it’s buying from iTunes or streaming via Netflix et al, but it could be welcome if you’re interested in the set-top box’s gaming aspect. Games for the Apple TV tend to start around 1GB, and some will use 4GB of storage space if not more. And as has been the case for a while, you don’t get an HDMI cable in the box. Apple recommends Belkin’s high-speed HDMI cable, which will set you back $50, but once again, there are cheaper alternatives if you don’t already have one. You’ll just want to look for a Certified Premium option like this cable from Monoprice. The new entry-level Apple TV 4K doesn’t support the Thread smart home standard, if you were hoping to use the set-top box as a smart home hub. You’ll need to get the 128GB model for this functionality. At the same time, the 2022 Apple TV 4K’s pricing isn’t out of line with more robust set-top box options like the $219 Fire TV Cube or the $239 entry-level NVIDIA Shield TV 4K. There’s less of a performance gain when compared to previous Apple TV 4K models, but apps do genuinely open faster. Disney+ took about four seconds to load on the new Apple TV 4K, compared to seven on the 1st generation model. Of course, after the app is open, jumping back right into is instantaneous on both models, for the most part. The fast processor makes the 2022 Apple TV 4K a surprisingly great gaming machine when paired with a controller. While it’s not going to rival a dedicated console, Apple Arcade’s ever-expanding library combined with the App Store gives you a whole host of gaming options. While some titles like The Pathless clearly haven’t been properly optimised for Apple TV (it frequently lagged), most games I tested were smooth as butter. The 3rd generation Apple TV 4K also brings support for the HDR10+ standard. This largely benefits those using Samsung TVs or other models that don’t support Dolby Vision, and makes the new Apple TV 4K that little bit more attractive. The 2022 Apple TV 4K naturally includes the redesigned Siri Remote from last year, but this time around, it has a USB-C port rather than Lightning. If you’ve got an Apple TV older than last year’s model, the new remote represents a pretty big upgrade in terms of usability and ergonomics. It’s more precise, has more buttons, and is more comfortable. It’s also that little bit more versatile thanks to its gaming potential, as well as integration with other Apple products like Fitness+. Naturally, the deeper you are in the ecosystem, the greater the benefits. If you’ve already got an Apple TV 4K, there’s very little need to buy the latest unless you genuinely need more storage or want HDR10+ support to go with your TV. I still use the 1st generation Apple TV 4K I’ve had for years and it runs swimmingly. Saving a few seconds opening apps isn’t going to be worth it for most. If you’re also on a 1st generation model, you can always buy just the new Siri Remote itself for $89. And honestly, that’s the upgrade that will make the biggest difference day-to-day. Disclosure: This author owns shares in Apple
