Here’s a comparison of some of the flagship specs for each device:
Apple TV 4K is no doubt ahead when it comes to hardware with its A10X Fusion chip, Bluetooth 5.0, and higher storage options. The new 4K Fire TV does sport an upgraded processor, but interestingly gets a downgrade for the GPU going from the Power VR GX6250 in the previous model to an older Mali 450 MP3 GPU in the latest hardware. This could be a limitation of the new 4K Fire TV’s smaller form factor.
One other hardware drawback to the new 4K Fire TV is that you’ll need to spend an $15 if you’d like to use a wired Gigabit connection.
When it comes to software, if you’re really invested in Apple’s ecosystem, the price difference will likely be worth it to you…especially if you’ve purchased a decent amount of HD movies via iTunes, like Zac mentioned. You of course also get AirPlay, functionality as a HomeKit hub, iCloud connectivity, and other convenient features.
However, for many consumers — if Apple’s ecosystem isn’t a priority — Fire TV can likely provide the same amount of value for a lot less cash. Even if you don’t want a Fire TV as your primary set top box, it’s a great option for secondary spaces. With Alexa voice control, 4K, HDR support, quad-core processor, and more, this device will provide a solid experience for most users.
It’s clear why Apple doesn’t have much of the set top box market share. And Apple doesn’t need to be a leader in this space (maybe the company doesn’t intend to), but if it would want to, it seems a price cut on the devices would be necessary.
Apple TV has been trailing devices like Roku and Fire TV in market share for a while, the new 4K Fire TV will likely create even more difficulty for Apple TV adoption. IHS Markit senior analyst Paul Erickson shared his thoughts on the devices in a recent note.
