KUALA LUMPUR, March 14 — A new Apple TV box was a surprising addition to Apple’s lineup over the past year, considering the last set-top box was fairly new.
You have two choices, one with an Ethernet connection and the other without, but with the addition of the RM100 for Ethernet support, you also get twice the storage.
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If you think you’ll need 128GB of storage, as opposed to 64GB on the Wi-Fi-only model, then it might be worth paying the small increase, especially if you have a lot of apps.
Otherwise, all models come with a new A15 Bionic chip, support for HDMI 2.2, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0 and infrared support for the remote control.
Speaking of the remote, Apple has long since given up on making the remote a game controller and instead it’s all about USB-C charging and a comfortable feel in hand.
However, the smaller size means it’s even easier to lose remotes if you’re prone to losing them – although I get around that by having a dedicated remote box that all remotes go into.
We have the power
Apple TVs have gotten cheaper over the years, but they’ve also seen a nice improvement in specs.
The A15 Bionic chip means you can actually run more intensive apps as well as games, be it from the App Store or Apple’s own arcade service, unlike Android equivalents.
Also interesting is that only this newer set-top box supports Apple Music’s new Sing feature, which lets you turn down the vocals on songs for a karaoke-like experience.
I say karaoke-like because while you can turn down the vocal volume on tracks, you can’t do things that dedicated karaoke machines can, like turn down the volume. B. changing the key of the song.
Still, it’s a nice extra with the service adding a bit more value to both the Apple Music and Apple TV box.
Best box for Apple stuff
If you’re already in the Apple ecosystem, this is the best set-top box if you don’t already have one.
It wouldn’t even be worth buying older models, even second hand, as this one will last you years and cost less than the earlier models.
If you are an Android phone user, the new Apple TV is more difficult to sell.
An iPhone user can calibrate the TV display, but that’s not the case with an Android, plus there are cheaper, smaller, and more portable alternatives.
While one could argue that this is a more iterative update (in the style of Apple iterative updates), it’s still a step up from the last to make the newer model the best choice in terms of price and features.
The new Apple TV 4K is available now in stores and online for RM699 and RM799 for the non-Ethernet and Ethernet models respectively.
