In addition to a new Siri Remote and a faster A12 processor, the refreshed Apple TV 4K that Apple announced today has a number of other notable hardware improvements.
/article-new/2021/04/Apple_unveils-the-next-gen-of-AppleTV4K_042021_big.jpg.large_2x.jpg?resize=560%2C315&ssl=1)
The new Apple TV 4K is equipped with an HDMI 2.1 port instead of an HDMI 2.0a port and supports 4K 60fps HDR video output. Code recently found in tvOS 14.5 suggested the new Apple TV could support 4K 120Hz output, but it doesn’t seem to be.
Along with HDMI 2.1, the new Apple TV supports 802.11ax WiFi 6 with MIMO. Apple has introduced WiFi 6 support in the latest devices, and WiFi 6 is the latest and fastest WiFi protocol available with improved speeds, expanded network capacity, lower latency, better energy efficiency and improved performance in locations with many smart devices for home use.
The Apple TV 4K is the second Apple device with built-in Thread support, after the HomePod mini. Thread is an energy efficient network technology that provides a secure mesh-based system that can communicate with other Thread compatible smart home devices for enhanced connectivity.
While not listed in the Apple TV specifications, the tvOS 14.5 beta suggests that the new Apple TV model supports eARC, which provides greater bandwidth and speed for sending higher quality audio from the TV to a soundbar or receiver.