The Apple TV 4K, stylized as tv 4K, is a series of digital media players and microconsoles developed by Apple Inc. It introduced support for 2160p output, HDR10, Dolby Vision and HEVC hardware decoding in September 2017.[1] An updated 2nd-generation model was introduced in April 2021 with support for high frame rate HDR, HDMI 2.1, and Wi-Fi 6.[2] A faster 3rd-generation model was introduced in October 2022 at a lower price, replacing the aging Apple TV HD.[3]
History[]
1st generation (2017)[]
Apple announced the original Apple TV 4K at an Apple Special Event on September 12, 2017 with the tagline "Let's meet at our place." Based on an Apple A10X Fusion processor, it is the first Apple TV console to support 4K resolution. The case was identical to the preceding Apple TV HD.[1]
2nd generation (2021)[]
An updated Apple TV 4K and Siri Remote were announced at an Apple Special Event with the tagline "Spring loaded." on April 20, 2021. It was upgraded with a faster Apple A12 Bionic processor.[2] The product became available for pre-order from April 30, and was fully released on May 21.[4]
The 2nd-generation Apple TV 4K introduced the ability to pair with iPhones through Face ID use their ambient light sensor to optimize its color output, a feature that was also extended to older Apple TVs with tvOS 14.5.[5] AirPlay added support for high frame rate HDR playback, allowing videos shot on the iPhone 12 Pro in Dolby Vision 4K 60fps to be mirrored in full resolution. An updated Siri Remote was also announced with a redesign and a new click pad reminiscent of the iPod click wheel.[2]

A demo of the Apple TV 4K 3rd generation.
3rd generation (2022)[]
The 3rd-generation Apple TV 4K and Siri Remote with USB-C were announced on October 18, 2022 and became available for pre-order on the same day. This model is powered by a faster Apple A15 Bionic chip which allows for cooler fanless operation in an enclosure that is 10% shorter and weighs only half as much as previous versions. The 64 GB base model communicates through Wi-Fi 6, while the 128 GB model includes both Wi-Fi 6 and Gigabit Ethernet. It will become available in stores on the following November 4th.[3]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Apple TV 4K brings home the magic of cinema with 4K and HDR (en) (Press release). Apple Inc. (2017-09-12).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Filipe Espósito (2021-04-20). Apple announces sixth-generation Apple TV with A12 chip and new Remote (en). 9to5Mac.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Apple introduces the powerful next-generation Apple TV 4K, Apple Inc. 2022-10-18.
- ↑ Karen Haslam (2021-04-29). New Apple TV 4K 2021 release date, price & specs (en). Macworld.
- ↑ Jason Cipriani (2021-04-28). Have an Apple TV? Use your iPhone to optimize your picture and make movies look better (en). CNET.
External links[]
- Apple TV 4K at Apple
- Apple TV 4K (2017) specs at EveryMac
- Apple TV: 4K (first, second, and third generation) at Wikipedia