Apple's long-awaited fourth-generation Apple TV features an A8 processor and 32 to 64GB of storage, along with a touch-based remote control that doubles as a gaming controller. It has a brand new operating system, "tvOS," which includes deep Siri integration and a full App Store. It will ship out to customers in late October.
The Apple TV, which connects via HDMI to compatible television sets, focuses on what Apple says is the foundation of a great set-top box: powerful hardware, a modern operating system, a fun and easy user experience, powerful tools for developers to create apps, and a dedicated App Store.
Combined, these factors are aimed at expanding the available content on the Apple TV and making it easy for users to sort through that content to find new movies to watch, new TV shows to follow, and new games to play.
According to Apple, "Apps are the future of television," which has led the company to focus on software as much as hardware. The Apple TV includes 2GB RAM and an A8 chip that's much faster than the A5 in the previous version, allowing the device to support a full App Store with both casual and console-quality games, in addition to a range of apps. It also supports 1080p video at 60 frames per second.
To take the work out of watching TV, the Apple TV includes Siri support for searching for content by voice command. Universal search capabilities allow users to search through multiple apps at once to find what they're looking for.
When looking for a movie, for example, it's possible to search through iTunes, Netflix, Hulu, HBO, and Showtime all at once to find content, which is a lot simpler than attempting to find a movie or a show using the search feature in each individual app.
The Apple TV runs tvOS, a new operating system designed just for the Apple TV. It brings an iOS 9-style redesign to the television set, and Apple has redesigned all of its apps for the new operating system with a heavy focus on highlighting content to make it easier than ever to find things to do on your TV. There are new screen savers and a new Apple Music app that brings Apple's new Music service to the television for the first time.
To store apps, games, TV shows, movies, and music, the Apple TV includes either 32 or 64GB of storage space and it supports super fast 802.11ac Wi-Fi.
How to Purchase
The new Apple TV will be available for purchase in late October. It's available in 32 and 64GB configurations, with the 32GB version priced at $149 and the 64GB version priced at $199.
It will be available at launch in 80 countries, with Apple planing to expand that to 100 countries by the end of the year.
Apple is continuing to sell the third-generation Apple TV, but it does not support Siri or the App Store. It is available immediately from Apple for $69.
Hardware and Design
Design wise, the fourth-generation Apple TV isn't much to look at. It continues to use the same black square design as previous Apple TVs, but it's thicker and heavier. It measures in at 3.9 inches wide and deep like the existing box, but it's 1.4 inches tall, an increase of half an inch. It weighs just under a pound, at 15 ounces. The size increase of the new Apple TV may have been done to accommodate the new A8 processor, as a teardown revealed a much larger heat sink in the new set-top box.
