Apple TV has always been a bit of an outlier in the Cupertino company’s product line-up. A “hobby” project for founder Steve Jobs, it’s become increasingly important as Apple puts more emphasis on the services it supports, such as Apple TV Plus streaming and Apple Arcade gaming.
After some scrutiny of previous models, Apple has finally lifted the lid on the 2022 Apple TV 4K revision of its TV streaming box – in two distinct flavors. Revealed via press release rather than the fanfare of a launch event, it promises some modest upgrades and some big ones, not to mention a price cut – but points to a much brighter future for the Apple TV experience overall.
Our Apple TV 4K (2022) review describes it as "Apple’s best TV box ever," noting that the new streamer "is particularly good for gamers thanks to a powerful chip ripped from its phones." From the specs sheet to the release date and pricing, here’s everything you need to know about Apple’s brand-new streaming devices -- including tvOS 16.3.2, the latest version of the software powering Apple TV.
Apple TV 4K (2022): Price and release date
The 2022 revision of the Apple TV 4K streaming box was revealed on October 18, 2022, ahead of a November 4, 2022 release date. Needless to say, you can buy it now: the 2022 model starts at $129 on Apple's website.
Two models are available – the first at that $129 price point offers Wi-Fi connectivity and 64GB of storage, while the second costs $149 and offers 128GB of storage, Ethernet connectivity on top of Wi-Fi, and increased smart home functionality.
That’s significantly cheaper than last year’s Apple TV 4K pricing in both cases, which cost $179. And that’s still with each Apple TV shipping with the mic-packing Siri remote. And of course, keep your eyes peeled for Apple TV deals, which crop up from time to time.
Apple TV 4K (2022): Specs and features
At a glance, the 2022 Apple TV 4K models look just like their predecessors. Both are small, palm-sized cubes, black with the Apple logo etched on top. They connect to a TV over an HDMI 2.1 connection, and while the cheaper one offers only Wi-Fi 6 connectivity, the more expensive model adds a Gigabit Ethernet port, too.
It’s under the hood where things get a bit more exciting, though. Each now uses the A15 Bionic chip, a powerful chipset that was introduced with the iPhone 13 line-up, and continues into the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus handsets. This is a significant upgrade for the Apple TV 4K boxes, which previously used the A12 Bionic chipset.
With the A15 Bionic chipset now in the Apple TV 4K 2022 model, you can expect a much more responsive system overall, not to mention increased performance in 3D apps and gaming applications, which could sometimes feel sluggish compared to their mobile counterparts. Apple quotes a 50% better CPU performance, and 30% better GPU performance, and our Apple TV 4K review confirms it, noting "it’s all buttery smooth. "You’ll be able to fire up anything from the Apple Arcade library and have no issues running it and, with support for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox wireless controllers, you’ll likely have something lying around the house already that you can play them with, too."
Storage optionally makes a significant jump too. While 64GB remains the entry point, the more expensive Apple TV 4K model for this year doubles that to 128GB – again a blessing for anyone that’s attempted to juggle the large file sizes of Apple Arcade titles on an Apple TV 4K box.
In addition, the Ethernet-packing premium model offers gigabit speeds and uses Thread mesh networking protocols to “connect even more smart home accessories,” thanks to the powerful new connectivity standard. More on that below.
The new Apple TV 4K devices both still ship with a sleek Siri remote too, an oblong, aluminium pointer for navigating the interface and apps, playing basic games with, and for speaking to the Siri voice assistant through its built-in microphone. It now charges over USB-C, compared to last year’s Lightning charging connection – though no USB-C cable is included in the box, nor a HDMI cable. They’ll be sold separately, though any half-decent third-party offering should do the trick.
Apple tvOS 16
Apple TV devices are powered by tvOS, a version of Apple's iOS software that's specifically built for the streaming device, and contains functions and features tuned for it. As of this writing, the latest version of Apple's tvOS supported by the Apple TV 4K (2022) is 16.3.2, released Feb. 13, along with updates to iPadOS, iOS, and watchOS. It follows hot on the heels of 16.3.1, released Monday, Feb. 6.
The two newest HomePod updates note "performance improvements and bug fixes," but not much more. Let's be honest, the latest version of tvOS builds on a lengthy history of including very limited update notes -- or none at all. One assumes the standard tweaks and small improvements to overall performance, making even small updates worthwhile downloads for owners.
The release of tvOS 16.2 was a big one, however, including new features for Siri and tweaks to Apple Music. Here's what Apple had to say:
Siri: Get personalized recommendations, play your favorite music, and more at any time with Recognize My Voice support for up to six different family members. Try "What should I watch?” "Play my music,” or “Switch to my profile."
Siri: Set your Siri language to be different from the one your Apple TV displays. Go to Settings > General > Siri Language.
Siri: Now includes language support for Danish in Denmark, French and German in Luxembourg, and English in Singapore to help you find shows, music, and more using just your voice.
Apple Music: Sing along to your favorites with beat-by-beat, real-time lyrics.
Apple Music: Control the vocal volume on millions of songs with Apple TV 4K (3rd generation).
On Nov. 16, Apple rolled out tvOS 16.1.1, a welcome update exclusive to the third-generation Apple TV 4K designed to fix a bug that prevented the device from accessing all of the storage that the box comes with.
How to set up your Apple TV
The Apple TV opens your world to different forms of entertainment, including films, TV shows, sports, and gaming. Setting up your new Apple TV is relatively easy if you already have an iPhone or iPad. Here's how to do it.
As Apple explains, "automatic setup doesn't transfer account information for third-party apps such as Netflix or Hulu, and doesn't turn on iTunes Match or Home Sharing." Meaning you'll still have to enter some things manually, but the most important parts of your Apple TV's setup process will be taken care of without a lot of hassle.
If you choose to manually set up your new Apple TV, you'll need to enter everything, from your iTunes account credentials to your Wi-Fi password one by one. See our Apple TV beginner's guide for complete tutorials and everything you'll need to get started.
Dolby Vision, HDMI 2.1 and HDR10+
Considering you’ll be spending a lot of time watching TV on the new Apple TV 4K boxes, it’s good to see Apple has made some improvements to the visual performance of the devices. The Apple TV 4K 2022 box now supports HDR10+ content, in addition to Dolby Vision, for more complete HDR source support. Dolby Atmos is still present, too.
That said, Apple TV users will be hard pressed to use Dolby Vision everywhere: In early January, owners rejoiced when the Prime Video app added Dolby Vision for select titles. Initially, the first four episodes of the hit tv show, The Rings of Power, appeared with the HDR technology which led users to believe that other Select shows were imminent. But it looks like the support rollout could be a mistake.
Days after adding Dolby Vision support to the Prime Video app on tvOS for Apple TV 4K, Amazon quietly removed the offering.
The Apple TV 4K supports e-ARC smart audio over HDMI 2.1 for the first time, which may have you wondering whether the cables you have lying around are no longer up to par for the latest HDMI standard. Don't worry: Unfortunately, Apple isn’t taking full advantage of HDMI 2.1 – there’s no 120Hz support anywhere here, for instance. So the need for a top-spec modern cable won’t be missed by many.
Audio formats remain unchanged from last year’s model. You’re getting Dolby Atmos surround sound — which works incredibly well with AirPods Max over-ears, to the point of making a home cinema system all but obsolete for solo listening sessions — Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 and Dolby Digital 5.1.
Matter, Thread, and smart home
Those that pick up the Wi-Fi + Ethernet model will also be able to take advantage of Thread networking support for secure and reliable connectivity, with the boxes ready to support the growing Matter smart home standard. Thread is a low-power connectivity standard that aims to unify devices from the tech world's biggest brands: Apple, Samsung, Google, Amazon, and hundreds of other companies support it.
Finally, it’s a more efficient box too. Thanks to the new chipset, Apple estimates it’ll draw 30 percent less power than last year’s model – and does away with the internal fan completely in favor of passive cooling. Recycled metals used in the construction also continue Apple’s green-focused manufacturing efforts.
