Apple TV · 4K
2021
Apple TV 4K (2nd generation)
Resolved long-standing remote ergonomic frustrations with the aluminum clickpad Siri Remote while introducing Apple A12 Bionic silicon, High Frame Rate 4K HDR, HDMI 2.1 with eARC, and Thread mesh smart-home networking.
- Announced
- 2021-04-20
- Family
- Apple TV
- Branch
- 4K
- Historical weight
- Major evolution
Key specifications
Apple verification ↗- Chip / CPU
- Apple A12 Bionic
- Base storage
- 32 GB or 64 GB
- Ports & charging
- HDMI 2.1, Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi 6, Thread
- Weight
- 425 g
- Dimensions
- 98×98×35 mm
- Original OS
- tvOS 14
- Launch price
- from $179
- Released
- May 2021
Generation delta
What changed?
Introduced
7- Power
Siri Remote (2nd generation)
all-new one-piece 100% recycled aluminum chassis featuring an innovative touch-enabled 5-way clickpad with circular outer ring jog-dial scrubbing, dedicated TV power button, mute button, and side-mounted Siri button.
- Ports
High Frame Rate HDR support (up to 4K at 60 fps in Dolby Vision and HDR10)
High Frame Rate HDR support (up to 4K at 60 fps in Dolby Vision and HDR10).
- Silicon
Apple A12 Bionic processor (6-core CPU, 4-core GPU, 8-core Neural Engine)
Apple A12 Bionic processor (6-core CPU, 4-core GPU, 8-core Neural Engine).
- Ports
HDMI 2.1 output port supporting enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC), enabling televisi…
HDMI 2.1 output port supporting enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC), enabling television and gaming console audio to route through connected HomePod speakers.
- Product
Integrated Thread mesh networking radio (functioning as a HomeKit / Matter Thread borde…
Integrated Thread mesh networking radio (functioning as a HomeKit / Matter Thread border router).
- Connectivity
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) with 2x2 MIMO
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) with 2x2 MIMO.
- Sensors
Automatic Color Balance feature utilizing an iPhone's front light sensor to calibrate t…
Automatic Color Balance feature utilizing an iPhone's front light sensor to calibrate television picture quality.
Changed
4- Silicon
Processor advanced from Apple A10X Fusion to Apple A12 Bionic with dedicated machine le…
Processor advanced from Apple A10X Fusion to Apple A12 Bionic with dedicated machine learning hardware.
- Connectivity
Wi-Fi standard upgraded from Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) to Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
Wi-Fi standard upgraded from Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) to Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax).
- Ports
HDMI interface updated from HDMI 2.0a to HDMI 2.1
HDMI interface updated from HDMI 2.0a to HDMI 2.1.
- Input
Remote controller interaction completely redesigned from a flat glass touchpad to a phy…
Remote controller interaction completely redesigned from a flat glass touchpad to a physical tactile clickpad with hybrid touch gestures.
Retired
1- Input
Siri Remote (1st generation) glass touch trackpad architecture
Siri Remote (1st generation) glass touch trackpad architecture.
Retained
1- Connectivity
Main unit enclosure dimensions (98 x 98 x 35 mm, 425 g), active centrifugal cooling fan…
Main unit enclosure dimensions (98 x 98 x 35 mm, 425 g), active centrifugal cooling fan, Gigabit Ethernet port, built-in universal power supply, and pricing tiers at $179 (32 GB) and $199 (64 GB).
Canonical predecessor
Apple TV 4K (1st generation) Apple TV 4K (2nd generation)