If you currently have an Apple TV 4K, you may not need the super power of the new box Here's why

The evolution of streaming entertainment depends on one small accessory, the remote control, to make a big difference in the quality of the experience A good remote control makes operation and viewing a pleasure; a bad remote control can be a headache

The new Apple TV 4K (2021) is a wonderfully powerful device with an internal upgrade with the A12 Bionic chip But the price, starting at $179, is prohibitive - especially for those who spent that much on the 2017 model

Editor's note: The new Apple TV Siri Remote won the Highly Recommended award in the Best Streaming Device Remote Control category at the 2021 Tom's Guide Awards

The second-generation Apple TV 4K offers more powerful and faster performance, but it is not dramatically better than the first generation The best thing about the new Apple TV 4K is that it comes with a new Siri Remote, which is sold separately

So there you have it: buy a new remote

I have a 1st generation 4K Apple TV and love the elegant tvOS interface and seamless integration with other Apple products All of that has not changed with the 2nd generation box It doesn't get any better than this

The new Apple TV 4K with the new A12 chip seems to perform slightly better and faster Slightly I can't benchmark test this device with software, but by my calculations, there was a couple of seconds difference in opening and downloading apps

Apple is also touting an upgrade to higher frame rate streaming at 60 frames per second (the first generation boxes stream at 30 fps) This allows videos to play back smoother and with more detail, and high frame rate streaming is great for fast-moving action like sports In reality, however, many sports are not displayed in ultra-high quality Certainly, you won't be watching 4K matches on cable or regular TV; Apple touts itself as an early adopter of the Red Bull TV streaming service, which is great if you're interested in extreme sports

When playing 4K shows and movies from Netflix, Disney Plus, and Amazon, we didn't notice much difference between the first- and second-generation Apple TVs Perhaps the action scenes in Stranger Things and Wonder Vision are slightly crisper and more detailed on the newer model, but not enough to recommend an upgrade

What's worth upgrading The new Siri remote

I have not been shy about expressing my dislike for the old Siri remote that came with the original Apple TV 4K After I programmed the universal remote to control the player, it sat in a drawer gathering dust

The first Apple TV remote was actually a fix to the old Apple TV remote, which was too small and slim and did not fit well in the hand Using this remote control felt like tapping a hard stick of gum Apple seemed to have taken a look at the existing remote control (a big, blocky thing with zillions of buttons) and moved as far away from it as possible

However, they went too far with the original Siri remote control The touchpad was designed to emulate the iPhone touchscreen, but it was too sensitive to use as a remote control Every time I picked up the remote, I would inadvertently swipe it and make an unintended (not to mention obtrusive) move Seriously, I would blow on it and all of a sudden the program would start fast-forwarding Also, the all-black buttons were hard to see and use; only one had a distinguishable white ring around it

The new Siri remote has been completely redesigned The aluminum body is larger and sturdier The black and silver buttons still look clean, but are more visually pleasing And the touchpad is gone [In its place are a click pad and jog wheel The center of the click pad is both a button and a touchpad, which supports gestures but is much less sensitive There is no accidental swiping There are also up, down, left, and right directional buttons

Apple also returned to its roots with the jog wheel, which reminded me fondly of the old iPods Dialing in the wheel made rewinding and fast-forwarding through shows easy, quick, and precise I tried it out while looking for a specific quote moment in an episode of "Ted Russo," and as Ted says, it was "5-star

The new remote also has power and mute buttons (in addition to the existing volume up/down) to control the TV The menu button has been replaced by a back button, which makes a little more sense when navigating; the Siri button has been moved to the side, closer to competitors' remotes like Roku's

That said, it's not perfect; I wish the TV icon button would move to the home screen instead of the Apple TV app Another item on my wish list: the new remote does not work with Apple's Find My app Despite the larger body, it is still a remote control, and it seems to regularly disappear into the back of the couch

In a way, the new Apple TV 4K (2021) is two new upgraded products in one The streaming device itself is really nice and offers top-notch performance, but it is also expensive, starting at $179 That's more than three times the price of the Roku, Fire TV 4K player, and Google TV-powered Chromecast If you are still using an older player, want to upgrade to 4K, and are already in the Apple ecosystem, it's worth getting excited about

But if, like me, you already have a 2017 Apple TV 4K, the new box doesn't represent a big enough leap to justify the high price

However, the new Siri remote is a significant improvement over the previous model Luckily, Apple sells this remote for $59 by itself, and it can also be used with the original Apple TV 4K

So there you have it: buy a new remote control