Apple TV 4K (3rd generation, 2022)

What Hi-Fi? highlights the Apple TV 4K (3rd generation, 2022) as a compelling upgrade over its award-winning predecessor, praising its more powerful A15 Bionic processor, improved responsiveness, and a surprising price drop. The review emphasizes subtle but meaningful enhancements, including a smaller, fanless design, USB-C remote charging, and expanded HDR support with HDR10+. Picture quality improvements are noted through vivid colors, sharper contrast, and enhanced detail in both HDR and SDR content, while the sound delivers warm, expressive, and dynamic audio suitable for video streaming. The tvOS 16 software adds useful features like multiple user profiles and Matter smart home support, maintaining a clean, ad-free interface that favors Apple’s ecosystem. Although the review acknowledges limited physical connectivity and suggests dedicated music streamers outperform it for audio enthusiasts, the overall tone is enthusiastic and confident, concluding that this generation offers better performance at a lower price, making it a clear winner in the premium streaming media player market.

Will Greenwald from PCMag highlights the third-generation Apple TV 4K as a solid, well-integrated media streamer that benefits from a faster A15 Bionic chip, a smaller form factor, and a notable $50 price reduction. He praises its seamless setup with Apple devices, snappy performance, and broad support for 4K HDR formats and lossless audio. The review emphasizes the strength of Apple’s ecosystem integration, especially for users invested in Apple products, and notes the Apple TV app’s role as a comprehensive media hub. However, Greenwald points out several drawbacks: the remote’s overly sensitive touchpad and unintuitive default button mappings, the lack of hands-free Siri voice control, and the absence of a live TV guide. He also critiques the premium price, which remains significantly higher than many competitors offering similar or better features, such as the Amazon Fire TV Cube. Ultimately, the Apple TV 4K is recommended primarily for dedicated Apple households, while others might find better value elsewhere.

Henry T. Casey from Tom’s Guide praises the Apple TV 4K (3rd generation, 2022) as a top-tier streaming device that becomes more accessible with a $50 price drop and a powerful A15 Bionic chip upgrade. He highlights its speed, seamless Apple ecosystem integration, and a clean, ad-free interface as standout features that justify its premium cost compared to competitors like Roku, Fire TV, and Chromecast. Casey appreciates the improved app load times, enhanced gaming smoothness, and future-proof HDR10+ support, while also noting the device’s excellent smart home compatibility and user-friendly tvOS interface. However, he points out some drawbacks, including the lack of a USB-C port, a persistent remote bug, and limited live TV guide features. He also questions the value of gaming on the platform due to a sparse game library. Overall, Casey recommends the Apple TV 4K (2022) especially for those invested in Apple’s ecosystem or dissatisfied with other streaming interfaces, but suggests current owners may not need to upgrade.

Chris Welch from The Verge highlights the Apple TV 4K (3rd generation, 2022) as Apple’s most powerful and full-featured streaming device yet, now offered at a more accessible $129 starting price. Praising its impressive A15 Bionic chip, Welch notes the device’s snappy performance and fluid multitasking, though speed gains are most noticeable to users upgrading from the older Apple TV HD. The addition of HDR10 Plus support broadens compatibility, especially benefiting Samsung TV owners. The review appreciates Apple’s seamless ecosystem integration, including effortless setup, intuitive remote, and strong cross-device features like AirPlay and SharePlay. However, Welch points out that tvOS remains largely unchanged in concept, lacking innovation in live TV integration compared to competitors like Fire TV and Roku. Siri’s capabilities are described as limited and inconsistent, and the remote, while improved, still misses features like a U1 chip for easier tracking. Overall, the Apple TV 4K is a refined, premium streamer ideal for Apple ecosystem users, but not a must-upgrade for recent 4K owners.

Eli Blumenthal from CNET highlights the Apple TV 4K (3rd generation, 2022) as a sleek and capable streaming device that benefits from a faster A15 Bionic chip and an updated Siri Remote with USB-C charging. While the device offers smooth integration with Apple services, seamless AirPods pairing, and support for a wide range of streaming apps and formats, the improvements over the previous generation are modest and not compelling enough for most users to upgrade. Blumenthal notes occasional audio glitches on certain TVs and finds the gaming experience underwhelming compared to dedicated consoles. The review emphasizes that despite the $50 price drop to $129, the Apple TV 4K remains expensive relative to competitors like Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Chromecast, which deliver similar 4K HDR streaming at much lower prices. Ultimately, the Apple TV 4K is recommended mainly for Apple ecosystem loyalists, with a price cut potentially making it a more attractive option.

Al Griffin from TechRadar highlights the Apple TV 4K (3rd generation, 2022) as a refined, rather than revolutionary, update to Apple’s streaming box. He praises its tighter integration within the Apple ecosystem, noting seamless iPhone setup, dual AirPods support with Spatial Audio, and compatibility with HomePods via HDMI eARC. The inclusion of the A15 Bionic chip delivers noticeably faster navigation and smoother Apple Arcade gameplay. New features like HDR10+ support, upcoming Quick Media Switching, and enhanced Siri voice search add meaningful value. The device’s more compact, fanless design and USB-C charging on the Siri Remote are also welcomed improvements. However, Griffin points out that despite a price drop, the Apple TV 4K remains relatively expensive compared to competitors like Roku and Amazon, making it a better fit for existing Apple users. Overall, he conveys a moderately positive and measured enthusiasm, emphasizing the product’s strengths in ecosystem synergy and video quality while acknowledging its premium cost.

Rasmus Larsen from FlatpanelsHD highlights the Apple TV 4K (3rd generation, 2022) as a refined and efficient streaming media player that builds on its predecessors with a smaller, lighter design and the powerful A15 Bionic chip. He praises its seamless integration with Apple’s ecosystem, excellent support for 4K HDR formats including new HDR10+, and advanced audio features like spatial audio with AirPods and HomePod wireless setups. The review emphasizes the device’s strengths in video playback accuracy, smart home hub capabilities via Thread and Matter (on the 128GB model), and improved gaming potential with increased storage and Metal 3 support. However, Larsen notes some shortcomings, such as the lack of true HDMI 2.1 bandwidth for 4K120Hz, missing AV1 codec support, and limitations in Dolby Atmos TrueHD and DTS:X. The remote control design receives mixed feedback, and the 64GB model’s removal of Ethernet and Thread is seen as a drawback. Overall, the review conveys a balanced enthusiasm, recommending the 128GB version for users seeking a future-proofed, versatile media hub.

Jason Cross from Macworld highlights the third-generation Apple TV 4K as the best streaming box available, emphasizing its speed, responsiveness, and superior audio/video quality with Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision support. He praises the updated A15 processor, doubled storage options, and the switch to USB-C charging for the Siri remote. The review notes the device’s compact design and seamless integration within the Apple ecosystem as key strengths. However, Cross points out that most improvements are incremental and unlikely to impact everyday use, especially for those who already own the previous generation. The standout feature is the significantly reduced starting price, making it a more compelling purchase despite still being pricier than competitors. He advises that the cheaper 64GB model lacks an ethernet port and Thread support, making the 128GB version a better value. Overall, the review conveys a cautiously positive tone, recommending the Apple TV 4K (3rd gen) primarily to new buyers seeking the best performance and ecosystem synergy.

Samuel Gibbs from The Guardian highlights the Apple TV 4K (3rd generation, 2022) as a fast, efficient, and reliable streaming device that offers a premium smart TV experience. He praises its broad app support, superior to competitors, and the clean, ad-free interface that enhances usability. The integration with Apple’s ecosystem, including features like AirPlay 2, Siri voice control, and simultaneous connection of two AirPods sets, stands out as a key advantage for Apple users. The upgraded A15 chip delivers more than enough power, especially for gaming, while supporting HDR10+ alongside Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. However, Gibbs notes the device remains expensive compared to rivals and less ideal for Android users due to lack of Google Cast support. He also cautions that current Apple TV owners may find fewer reasons to upgrade. Overall, the review conveys measured enthusiasm, emphasizing the Apple TV 4K’s quality and ecosystem benefits while acknowledging its premium price and some platform limitations.

Chris Davies from SlashGear highlights the Apple TV 4K (3rd generation, 2022) as a mature, reliable streaming device that prioritizes a smooth, no-nonsense user experience over flashy gimmicks. Praising its powerful A15 Bionic chip, support for the latest HDR standards including Dolby Vision and HDR10+, and improved Siri Remote with USB-C charging, Davies emphasizes the device’s speed, responsiveness, and seamless integration within the Apple ecosystem. He notes the value of the Wi-Fi + Ethernet model for added storage and smart home capabilities. However, he points out drawbacks such as the relatively high price compared to competitors, the absence of a bundled HDMI cable, and limitations in the Apple TV app’s content aggregation—particularly missing Netflix and HBO integration. While live TV support remains less comprehensive than rivals, Davies appreciates the advert-free interface and future-proofing features, ultimately recommending the Apple TV 4K for users seeking a polished, fast, and well-integrated streaming experience, especially within Apple’s ecosystem.