Apple TV just crashed back down to $99 in Black Friday deal

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The 2021 Apple TV 4K is back to its lowest price ever

Apple TV streaming device with a Tom's Guide deal tag
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

This Apple TV 4K deal isn't just a sale on one of the best streaming devices. It's a sale on the streaming device that Tom's Guide's senior editor in charge of streaming (hey, that's me) personally uses whenever he's not testing something new.

And, yes, there's a newer Apple TV 4K 2022 model that I just reviewed — but you probably don't need it (and we'll explain why below).

Apple TV 4K (2021): $179$99 @ Amazon

Apple TV 4K (2021): $179 $99 @ Amazon
The Apple TV 4K supports high-frame rate HDR streaming as well as support for multiple users. Apple has added a speedy A12 Bionic chip for snappy performance, but it's the new remote which we like the most. It retains touch and gestures, but adds actual buttons as well as an intuitive jog wheel that recalls the old iPods of yore. 

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The Apple TV 4K's biggest problem, historically, was its exorbitant price. To ask people to spend $179 on a 4K streaming device when the $99 Roku Ultra and $49 Roku Streaming Stick 4K — our top pick for most people — exist, just doesn't make sense.

But in our Apple TV 4K (2021) review, we do explain why people would love it. It's a super-speedy streaming device for fast app load times, thanks to the A12 Bionic system-on-chip. Also, its interface is the best of any streaming device. Period.

It's also got standards that Amazon and others have added, including multi-user support, and that new metallic Siri remote that's a huge upgrade over the trackpad Siri remote of years past. Buttons matter, and Apple realized it. Though this remote uses Lightning, and the new one uses USB-C.

What about the new Apple TV 4K (2022)? Well, its best feature is the new lower $129 price tag. And this model is $30 cheaper! Though that model has 64GB of storage, which you may need for Apple Arcade games — if the 32GB model has you pruning your apps constantly. And that's a big 'if.'

The other big 2022 model feature is HDR10+, which improves contrast by using metadata to finely-tune lighting to the programming you're watching.

Oh, and that new Apple TV 4K costs $149 if you want built-in Ethernet, which this model already has. Both of course have all the apps you cold ask for, such as Netflix, Disney Plus and Prime Video. That $149 model also has Thread support for the Matter smart home standard — another upgrade over the 2021 and $129 models. 

You might be surprised at just how much you can do with an Apple TV device. To this end, make sure to check out our roundup of the best Apple TV apps and games to see which are worthy of downloading, and also our list of the best Apple TV Plus shows and movies. 

We expect to see plenty more Apple deals as we approach the holiday season, so make sure to keep it locked to Tom’s Guide for complete coverage — including our Black Friday deals live blog — in the run up to Black Friday, Cyber Monday and beyond.  

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Henry T. Casey
Henry T. Casey

Henry was a managing editor at Tom’s Guide covering streaming media, laptops and all things Apple, reviewing devices and services for the past seven years. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. He's also covered the wild world of professional wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other industry veterans.