Given that the redesigned Apple TV 4K looks identical to the last model, we assumed it would be equally easy to fix. And according to iFixit’s teardown video, that’s exactly the case. Thanks to a little curiosity and standard screws, the construction site was able to break through the housing of the set-top box. In a unique twist, Apple also used metal contact pins to connect the ATV’s large fan to its motherboard. That makes it easy to remove without worrying about broken wires.
In addition, the Apple TV 4K is basically a sandwich of easy-to-remove components. And as before, the sleek black housing is completely IR-transparent so that infrared commands can be transmitted to other devices in your house. (In my home theater, the Apple TV remote also changes the volume of my A / V receiver.) IFixit ultimately gave the new Apple TV 4K eight out of ten when it comes to repairability. It’s the kind of thing even a novice should dive into (not that there’s much to add to the case).
The redesigned Siri Remote – the real star of the show, to be honest – is a whole different matter. After removing two screws near the Lightning connector (similar to the iPhone), iFixit manually detached all of the face buttons before finding another screw to remove. After that, the site was able to slide out all of the remote’s internals, revealing a tiny 1.52whr battery on the bottom and the rest of its circuitry on top. There aren’t any big surprises, but almost everything took some force to remove. Basically, if you run out of battery, you will most likely be buying a new Siri remote in a couple of years.
All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team independently of our parent company. Some of our stories contain affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may receive an affiliate commission.