Google TV Streamer 4K vs Apple TV 4K: What’s the difference?

Google has just announced its latest Chromecast device in the Google TV Streamer 4K, which doubles up as a smart home hub for Google Home and Matter-enabled devices. 

How do the specs of the Google TV Streamer 4K compare with the five-star Apple TV 4K? We’ve compared the features and highlighted the key differences and any important similarities below.

Both support 4K resolution, Dolby Atmos and Vision and come with ethernet ports for a wired connection. They both also come with a voice-assistant remote.

Android TV vs Apple TV

Perhaps the biggest difference between the two streamers comes with their respective operating systems. While the Google TV Streamer naturally runs on Android TV, the Apple TV 4K streamer is powered on Apple’s tvOS. 

To be expected, both TV streamers work best when paired with their respective compatible products and offer dedicated features. For example, you can use a compatible iPhone as a remote for your TV and seamlessly connect two sets of AirPods, both in spatial audio, for a private viewing experience.

Not only that but the Apple TV even has the FaceTime app, which connects to either your iPhone or iPad to connect your call to your TV.

The Google TV Streamer also offers very similar features that are only compatible with certain Google and Android products. Not only can you pair the Streamer with either Nest speakers or Pixel Buds Pro, offering spatial audio, but with the Google Photos app you can turn your TV into your own personal digital photo frame with your image library.

Finally, both streamers offer voice assistant compatibility with the Google TV Streamer using Google Assistant while Apple TV features Siri.

Apple TV has more storage options

The Apple TV 4K is available in a choice of two storage sizes 64GB or a whopping 128GB, which means you can download more apps, content and even games with Apple Arcade. 

The Google TV Streamer however comes in just a measly 32GB, which means you may need to be more selective with your downloads.

Both work with Matter

The two streamers allow for easy setup and control of compatible smart home devices, with both working with Matter and Thread-enabled appliances. In addition, the Google TV Streamer is compatible with Google Home-enabled devices.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Apple TV Streamer works with HomeKit-enabled accessories instead.

The Google TV Streamer is available in two colours

The style conscious will be pleased to know the Google TV Streamer was designed to “blend with any decor” and is available in sleek Hazel or Porcelain tones with matching Google remote controls. The Hazel design will only be available in the US however.

Alternatively, Apple TV is only available in Black with a contrasting Grey Siri-enabled remote. 

The Google TV Streamer is cheaper

Launching on September 24, the Google TV Streamer is currently available for pre-order with an RRP of £99/$99.99 and will also be available in 20 countries worldwide. As mentioned above, there’s just one size available: 32GB but this option still comes equipped with an ethernet cable for uninterrupted Wi-Fi streaming.

Apple TV 4K is more expensive, with a starting RRP of £149/$129. What’s more, this cheaper model doesn’t feature an ethernet cable port so if you need this then you’ll need to pay an extra £20.