While Apple still claims TV is just a hobby, the new Apple TV may just turn this business around into something more serious. Welcome to my unboxing and impressions of the new Apple TV.
This is likely the biggest update to the Apple TV since its jump from hard drive-based to Cloud based services a few years ago. This Apple TV brings touch-based services, Siri, and most importantly, a new app store to the extremely limited yet fairly successful Apple TV line.
The packaging is also really different this year. Now coming in an all-black, larger yet simpler box, the Apple TV’s packaging is really elegant. Once you crack open into the shrink wrap and remove the top, you are presented with the Apple TV and the remote sitting on top with all the accessories lying beneath. Inside the box, of course, you get the Apple TV set top box, its new Bluetooth touch remote, a lightning cable to charge up the remote’s internal battery, a power cable for the set top box, and last but not least, some literature including the famous Apple stickers.
The Apple TV has grown in height this year and it’s really evident when compared to the previous generation TV. The new one comes in at 1.4 inches tall but keeps the same width and length dimensions as before. The biggest change is probably the new remote. No longer the old, simple IR remote that used to come with old MacBook’s. This new Apple TV remote puts together Bluetooth connectivity and a touch pad for its user interface—a big step up from the old remote that relied on simple navigation buttons.
Spec-wise, the new Apple TV’s packing the Apple A8 processor so it can run those applications in their full 1080p max resolution. We’ll definitely put that to the test throughout our testing. It also has 32 or 64GB of built-in storage to store applications only so you’ll still have to rely on an internet connection to watch shows and movies. In terms of I/O changes, the Apple TV still has your normal power port, HDMI out, an Ethernet port but instead of micro USB, Apple have switched to USB Type-C and have ditched the optical audio out. But other than those changes, the Apple TV is basically an updated version with an entirely new UI and Siri.
That’s been our unboxing and first impressions of the new Apple TV.