In today's tech cycle, where everyone's chasing the next big upgrade, it's easy to forget that some of the best products are the ones that quietly stand the test of time. The iPhone 17 series just launched, Samsung's getting ready to roll out its trifolding phone, and every company seems to want you to believe that this year's model is a must-have.
However, one Apple product that has impressed me the most over the past few years is the Apple TV (2022). Here's why it continues to amaze me three years later and why I wouldn't hesitate again to invest in a premium streaming device.
Apple TV 4K (2022)
- Brand
- Apple
- Bluetooth codecs
- 5.0
- Wi-Fi
- 6
- Ethernet
- Gigabit (128GB model only)
- Storage and RAM
- 64GB, 128GB
Apple TV (2022) is a compact streaming box with the company's fast A15 Bionic chip. It supports HDR10+ playback and Dolby Vision. Additionally, it includes an HDMI 2.1 port, Wi-Fi 6, and comes with a USB-C Siri Remote. It is upgradable to the latest tvOS 26 and supports a wide range of apps and games.
My Apple TV still runs as smoothly as the day I bought it
Even after years of use, it feels faster than most new streaming boxes
It has been nearly three years since I invested in the Apple TV 4K, but what continues to amaze me is its sheer consistency. I use my Apple TV almost every day, whether streaming Netflix, watching shows on Apple TV+, or catching the next Chelsea soccer match, and it feels just as smooth as it did on day one. I even keep it in my backpack while traveling.
Apps open instantly, transitions are fluid, and switching between content is near-instant. There's never been any noticeable lag, buffering, or slowdown. And sure, the A15 Bionic chip inside might not sound impressive in 2025, especially for gaming on Apple Arcade, but I don't do that, and for my use case, it's been near-perfect. I've never had to reset it, troubleshoot issues, or deal with buggy updates. It just works, every single time I turn it on.
And yes, I get that it's a streaming device doing far less than my iPhone or MacBook, which handle countless tasks every second, but even so, my Apple TV has held up remarkably well.
It's not like I haven't given other streaming devices a chance. I've used the Xiaomi Mi Box S Android TV and the Fire TV Stick 4K Max, but both show occasional lag or stutter while switching apps or loading content.
My Apple TV, on the other hand, refuses to drop a frame, which is commendable for a device that's plugged in daily and always ready to go.
tvOS updates keep it feeling new
Regular updates make it feel modern without needing new hardware
One of the reasons why I feel the Apple TV 4K has maintained its smooth, lag-free performance, beyond its powerful hardware compared to other TV boxes, is that Apple continues to support it just like its other devices.
While Google seems to have moved Android TV to a two-year update cycle, meaning major upgrades every other year instead of annually, Apple continues releasing updates for Apple TV alongside iOS and macOS.
For example, just a few weeks ago, Apple rolled out the tvOS 26 update for Apple TV, introducing the new Liquid Glass design language and giving the interface a refreshed look at the same time as the iPhone and iPad.
In addition, tvOS 26 brings much-needed features like the ability to set any AirPlay speaker as a permanent output, improved user-switching and login options, and new Aerial Screen Savers that look breathtaking when your TV is idle.
Apple TV still amazes me in 2025
All things considered, the Apple TV (2022) remains my favorite Apple product of the past few years. It's not because it's flashy or groundbreaking, but because it's dependable. It does exactly what it's supposed to do, perfectly, every time.
It's starting to feel like not only other streaming device makers should learn from Apple on how to build a dependable media player, but Apple itself should also apply the same level of stability, performance, and feature upgrades to its other products, like the MacBook and iPhone, especially considering many users complained about iPhone performance after the iOS 26 update.
That said, with a new Apple TV rumored to launch soon, I can't wait to see what Apple has in store. Even though I may not upgrade right away, if I were in the market for a new streaming device, I wouldn't hesitate to spend this much — the Apple TV delivers that much value.