I ditched Android TV for Apple TV — and now I would purchase my first iPhone – MyBroadband

While it comes with a hefty price ticket, the Apple TV 4K is effectively well worth the cash contemplating its distinctive efficiency and helpful options.

I’ve by no means been a serious fan of Apple merchandise. Since getting my first smartphone — a Samsung Galaxy S4 — over a decade in the past, I’ve been a die-hard Android person.

While the extra customisation and intensive app choice have performed an element on this, there has actually been just one motive I by no means purchased an Apple smartphone — the value.

In the early years of smartphones, Samsung and Huawei supplied distinctive flagships with efficiency and specs similar to, and even higher than, the iPhone at a considerably lower cost.

My inclination in direction of the Android habitat prolonged to my choice for the TV working system (OS).

My first publicity to the Android TV OS was on a Xiaomi TV stick, which was a game-changer in comparison with plugging my laptop computer into my TV each time I needed a bigger-screen expertise.

About 4 years in the past, we purchased a TCL 50-inch TV with Google-approved Android TV inbuilt. For a very long time, it was enough for our video streaming wants.

However, in current months, my spouse and I turned more and more pissed off with the OS, regardless of holding it up to date.

Apps would usually freeze or go right into a startup loop, requiring the TV to be absolutely shut right down to resume watching a film or collection.

I shopped round for suggestions on the very best Android TV or Google TV bins or sticks by way of efficiency and options, however none stood out.

Even higher-end fashions, priced round R1,500 to R2,000, had comparatively modest specs, usually maxing out at 2GB of RAM and sharing the identical barebones Amlogic chips.

Many MyBroadband discussion board members swore by Nvidia’s Shield TV, however that machine was getting a bit lengthy within the tooth for my liking.

It remains to be not formally obtainable in South Africa, both, and parallel-imported fashions had been priced over R4,000.

I turned intrigued by Apple TV after studying quite a few optimistic opinions concerning the machine on-line and briefly utilizing a good friend’s unit.

The responses to my inputs had been simply sooner and smoother than what I had ever skilled on Android TV or its Google TV successor. However, its beginning price ticket of R2,000 was nonetheless a bit steep for my liking.

Hardware that packs a punch and software program that simply works

Then got here a stroke of fine fortune — we received the Apple TV 4K third Gen as a Christmas present. Our residence video leisure expertise has improved considerably consequently.

The Apple TV 4K comes geared up with the A15 Bionic chip, the identical one discovered within the iPhone 13, paired with 4GB of reminiscence. This mixture has considerably improved our OS startup and app load-in instances.

Our mannequin was the higher-end model with 128GB storage and an Ethernet port. The latter has gone unused thus far, because the Wi-Fi capabilities have been greater than enough.

Initial setup was quick and seamless, regardless of not having an iPhone. The dictation function was significantly useful for shortly and precisely typing in our Apple account credentials.

While our video high quality itself won’t have obtained a lift, the snappy interactions and practically bug-free expertise have been a serious improve over Android TV.

The Apple tvOS software program can be intuitive, with menus and navigation logically structured. One of its greatest options is the App Switcher, which could be accessed by double-tapping the Home button.

This permits you to shortly leap between totally different video streaming companies with out returning to the Home menu.

A nifty distant with some distinctive touches

The slim aluminium distant management feels premium within the hand. The “clicky” buttons present nice suggestions for confirming presses.

The undeniable fact that the distant has a chargeable battery and a USB-C port can be a serious profit. Apple switched from utilizing its personal Lightning connector to USB-C on the Siri distant in 2022.

Users are considerably divided on the Clickpad, which permits for scrolling up or down and left or proper by swiping, somewhat than clicking.

In our expertise, it was useful when scrubbing via video timelines and interfaces while not having to click on a number of instances.

The Apple TV expertise can be fully ad-free, with suggestions for movies and collection primarily based in your private preferences. The identical can’t be mentioned for Android TV’s successor, Google TV.

Despite not having some other Apple merchandise linked with our Apple TV, we have now had a blast with this little field within the final two months.

The intensive record of options that combine with different Apple merchandise has truthfully received me contemplating giving the “walled garden” ecosystem an opportunity by shopping for my first iPhone.

If the person expertise is something like what we’ve had on the Apple TV 4K, the value would possibly simply be price it.