A few months ago Apple released the 3rd generation variant of its Apple TV 4K. We already thought the 2nd gen model was one of the best streaming devices out there. The 3rd gen model, however, improves upon it in several ways. Today, Amazon has it for $139.99 (normally $149). That might not sound like a lot, but it’s the lowest price we’ve seen for this model and beats out anything we encountered during Black Friday or Cyber Monday.
New 3rd Gen Apple TV 4K 64GB + Ethernet
Even at retail price, the new 3rd gen Apple TV 4K is an impressively better deal than the 2nd gen model. That’s because Apple lowered the MSRP: $129.99 for the 32GB and $149.99 for the 64GB for the 3rd gen compared to $179.99 and $199.99 for the 2nd gen. It’s very rare for Apple to improve one of their products so dramatically while at the same time lowering the price. A $9 discount on top is just icing on the cake.
Apple TV 4K 3rd Gen vs 2nd Gen Differences
By far the biggest upgrade of the 3rd gen is the Apple A15 Bionic CPU compared to the A12 Bionic found on the 2nd gen. The A15 Bionic is the same chip you’ll find in the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 14. It is much faster than the A12 Bionic and blows away pretty much any other streaming device out there in terms of processing power. This added power allows the 3rd gen Apple TV to now support HDR10+. The A15 Bionic CPU is also more energy efficient and generates less heat, so the 3rd gen Apple TV 3rd gen no longer requires a fan.
The Apple Remote is largely the same, and that’s not a bad thing because the 2nd gen Apple TV remote was incredible. The Lightning port has been changed over to the more universal USB Type-C port. The 2nd gen Siri remote was head over heels superior to the previous generation black remote. Not only is the build quality better, but there are a few quality-of-life enhancements such as a 5-way clickpad, mute button, and dedicated power button that works for your TV, receiver, and Apple TV.
Apple announced a new feature called “Apple Music Sing”. You’ll be able to sing along to Apple Music songs, pretty much like karaoke at home. Only the newest Apple TV 4K will support this feature, previous generations including the 2nd gen will not support it.
Why spring for the 64GB model?
Ignoring the fact that the 64GB model is only about $17 more than the 32GB model, there are a couple of major advantages besides the doubled storage. Exclusive to the 64GB model, the 3rd gen Apple TV has an ethernet port if you need a hard-wired connection to your internet. The 64GB model also exclusively has Thread support which you won’t get in the 32GB model. Thread support means that the Apple TV can be used as a mesh border router to extend the range of Apple’s smart home devices. This might not be a huge benefit right now, but as Apple starts to integrate more smart home devices into its ecosystem, you’ll be glad that you futureproofed your Apple TV.
Why is the Apple TV is such a great media streaming device?
For starters, it supports a huge range of apps. That includes video apps like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Paramount+, and of course original Apple TV movies and TV shows, as well as music apps like Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Music, and TIDAL. Apple TV also gives you access to Apple Arcade games that you can’t play on a non-Apple device.
The Apple TV hardware is also top shelf. It’s powered by an Apple A15 Bionic CPU that’s capable of handling 4K HDR, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision video paired with Dolby Atmos audio without a hitch. You’re not gimped on storage space either; even the lesser 32GB model puts other media streamers to shame. For example, the Amazon Fire TV (any model) includes only 8GB of storage, Roku doesn’t include any internal storage, and the NVIDIA Shield Pro comes closest with 16GB.
Finally, the Apple TV is a cinch to install, especially if you already own an Apple device like an iPhone or iPad. Even better, you won’t need any additional setup to mirror your Apple TV content to your iPhone or iPad or vice versa. You’ll be able to swap videos, movies, music, images, and browser content using Apple’s proprietary AirPlay wireless connection. And since the iPhone is the most popular phone on the market right now, it’s safe to say that quite a few people will find this functionality extremely practical.
For more deals, take a look at our daily deals for today.
