Streaming devices and streaming apps are the technology trends of this 21st century. A lot of streaming devices and streaming apps are hitting the market. With this, the battle for which is the best streaming device is always on. In this post, we will see about Apple TV VS Amazon Firestick.
What is Apple TV?
Apple TV is a streaming device launched by Apple on 9th Jan 2007. Like every other Apple device, it has its own customization and its own operating system. With a clean and neat UI, Apple TV is one of the contenders for the best streaming device. Since its initial launch, Apple has released 5 different streaming devices which include 4K resolution devices too.
What is Amazon Firestick?
Amazon, e-commerce giant, introduced Fire TV on 12th April 2014. Firestick / Fire TV is a streaming device that runs on FireOS which is very similar to AndroidOS. Amazon has launched 8 streaming devices in the course of 5 years. Amazon Firestick is considered as one of the best streaming devices as it is handy to use and very easy to watch. Below is the detailed comparison between Apple TV and Amazon Firestick. If you are going to buy any of these two streaming devices, take a look at this comparison.
Related: Amazon Firestick vs Roku – Which is the Streaming Device?
Apple TV vs Firestick: Setup
The setup procedures for Apple TV is so simple. Like every smart device, you need to choose the language on the device. Later on, you can either choose to set up your Apple TV with the iOS device or choose to set up manually. If you choose to set up the device with your iOS device, your Apple ID, Wi-Fi settings will automatically add to your TV without doing any additional things. This makes the setup process easier than other streaming devices.
On the Amazon Firestick, you don’t have the option to set up with your smartphone. You need to enter all the needed information manually. But all the setup procedures are very easy. The one easy setup way is that if you bought the Firestick from Amazon Online Shopping, your Amazon account will be registered on the device. By getting the Firestick from its parent site, you can minimize the setup procedures.
On comparing the setup process, Apple TV has the upper hand as it can be linked to your iOS device. The setup procedure can only be minimized if you brought the Firestick from its official shopping site.
Apple TV vs Firestick: Design
Apple TV consists of one square box and a small rectangular remote. The square box is very thick and weighs 425 grams which is almost half a kilos. The remote is quite similar to other streaming devices’ remote. Due to its bigger size, is occupies larger space. For a streaming device, Apple TV is not doing great for its cost.
Amazon Firestick will look like a plus-sized Pendrive. You can directly connect it to the HDMI port of your TV. The Firestick is a bit thicker that it may disturb the next HDMI port of your TV. The device won’t occupy much of your space as it can perfectly fit into your TV.
When the sizes are compared, Amazon Firestick wins the race. When compared to Pendrive sized Firestick, Apple TV is a big giant streaming box.
Apple TV VS Firestick: Control
Apple TV has its own Siri Remote to control the device. One of the key features in Siri Remote is that it has a touchpad. You can control your Apple TV using the touchpad. Apple TV Remote is the only streaming device remote that has a rechargeable battery. Once it is fully charged, it can run for months. Other than the remote, it also has an iOS app called Apple TV Remote app. The Apple TV Remote app is not available for Android smartphones.
Amazon Firestick also has its own remote control. For high-end Firestick, it has Alexa voice remote to control the device with voice commands. But the remote has no touchpad on it. The remote is powered by disposable batteries. It also has a smartphone app to control the device. The app is available for both iOS and Android smartphones.
In the control section, Apple TV is the winner. By having the touchpad and rechargeable battery, Apple TV easily wins the race.
Apple TV vs Firestick: UI
The User Interface and user interaction are the key points of any Apple device. In this section, no other device can give a fight to Apple TV. But the Apple TV UI may be a bit scrappy to Android smartphone users. Apple TV has its own OS called tvOS. The navigation and controls are very similar to iOS. An iPhone user will surely like the Apple TV UI. The on-screen keyboard is the biggest flaw in the UI. The on-screen keyboard is in the ABCD format. But the keyboard will appear in a broader view which makes it easy to enter the characters.
Amazon Firestick has its own FireOS which is very similar to AndroidOS. Navigation and user control are very similar to Android smartphones. The on-screen keyboard is also an issue here. It also follows the ABCD format and appears in a narrow view which makes it very hard to enter the characters.
In the UI department, Apple TV seems to have a better UI but it is better only for iOS users. On the other hand, Firestick may not have a better UI than Apple TV, it is considered as a good UI than other streaming devices. So, when comparing the UIs between the two, it is a tie.
Apple TV vs Firestick: App Ecosystem
App Ecosystem, this is where the Apple TV fails miserably. You can install apps and games that are available only on the Apple App Store. You can’t install apps that are not available on the Apple App Store. If you want to install apps from other sources, the only option is to jailbreak your device. But there is no guarantee that it will work. For a streaming device, the apps available on the Apple App Store will be more than enough. Apple TV has two memory variants 32GB and 64GB. You can install any apps and can store any pieces of information you want.
On Firestick, you can install all the apps that are available on the Amazon App Store. If any app is not available on the Amazon App Store, you can sideload the app using any third-party downloaders. As the device runs on FireOS which is very similar to Android OS, you can install almost all the Android apps on your Firestick. The internal storage of Firestick is 8GB, so you don’t have to worry about the app size.
When the app compatibility is considered, Amazon Firestick is the best streaming device. Though the internal storage is lesser than Apple TV, it supports more apps than Apple TV.
Streaming Quality
Apple has a 4K streaming quality in its device. It supports H.264/HVEC video formats up to 2160p and 60fps. With a good internet connection, it can stream 4K video without buffering.
In the case of Firestick, it can also support 4K video and has an output quality of 1080p. With the Firestick, you can stream the high-resolution videos with minimal buffering.
When streaming quality is considered, Firestick stands next to Apple TV.
Apple TV vs Firestick: Additional Features
Apple TV has a screen mirroring feature between iOS devices. By having an extra game controller, you can play games on Apple TV. The major disappointing thing in Apple TV is that it can’t be used outside the Apple environment. It is quite a job to share files and information between Android and Apple devices.
In Firestick, you can do casting with other smartphones using the Screen Mirroring. You can play as many games you want on Firestick because of the 8GB internal storage. If operated correctly and efficiently, you can use your Firestick as your stationary smartphone. You can install all the Google Play Store apps on your Firestick.
Price
Apple TV price starts from $149 to $199 whereas Firestick costs from $45 to $119. This is clear that the costliest Firestick is cheaper than the cheapest Apple TV. For a mere $45, you can get everything that is offered on Apple TV. So by considering the price, Firestick is the best buy.
Related: Full Comparision on Amazon Fire TV vs Firestick
Final Verdict
By considering all the features on Apple TV and Firestick, Amazon Firestick is a better streaming device. Though Apple TV has the best UI and control, Firestick has the upper hand in all the other departments. The Final Verdict is that the Amazon Firestick is the best streaming device when compared to Apple TV.