5 ways the Google TV Streamer is better than the Apple TV 4K

Earlier this year, fed up with the state of ads on Google TV, I retired my Google TV Streamer in favor of a much less advertisement-riddled Apple TV 4K. On the point that made my decision for me — the ads — Apple’s tvOS has been a marked improvement over Google TV. But the Google TV Streamer I was using before has its share of advantages over the Apple TV 4K I switched to, too. Here are five ways the Google TV Streamer is better than the Apple TV 4K.

1

Lower cost

First up: Google’s high-end streaming box starts at a lower price than Apple’s. The Google TV Streamer retails for $99.99, while the Apple TV 4K comes in at $129.99 — or $149.99, if you spring for the upgraded version that comes with extra storage and some other perks. That extra 30 or 50 bucks could buy you a handful of digital movies on Google TV, or at least a few months’ worth of subscription to your streaming platform of choice.

2

Multiple color options

The Apple TV 4K comes in a single colorway: the streaming box itself is black, while the aluminum remote is silver. The Google TV Streamer comes in a single color at retail — the off-white Porcelain — but on the Google Store, you can grab it in the green-gray Hazel colorway. Given the thing is designed to sit out in the open rather than dangle behind your TV like Google’s Chromecast devices did, being able to match the Streamer’s color to your decor is a non-negligible benefit.

3

Remote locator button

Both the Apple TV 4K and the Google TV Streamer offer ways to locate a lost remote control, but Google’s method is much simpler. With the Apple TV 4K, if you misplace your remote, you can find it using an iPhone, which will use the remote’s Bluetooth signal to try to guide you to the controls.

On the Google TV Streamer, you can simply press a button on the back of the streaming box, which will prompt the remote control to make noise that’ll lead you right to it. If you tend to lose your remotes often, this one alone might be a good reason for you to go for Google’s streamer.

4

Support for external storage

Neither the Apple TV 4K nor the Google TV Streamer supports expandable storage on their own — there aren’t SD card slots or USB ports earmarked for accessories on either. But the Google TV Streamer does have a USB-C port for power, and if you connect a USB hub to it, you can connect accessories that way. In doing so, Google’s streaming box allows you to add more storage space for more apps or local media. You can’t do that on Apple TV 4K.

5

Ethernet without the markup

You probably don’t need a wired internet connection to stream TV and movies, but if your Wi-Fi’s not up to snuff, you may need Ethernet to get a reliable stream to your screen.

The base model Apple TV 4K costs $130 and doesn’t give you the option for a wired Ethernet connection. To do that, you’ll have to spring for the upgraded model that costs $150. That model also comes with extra storage space, but still, it’s $50 more expensive than the Google TV Streamer — which does have built-in Ethernet at its base price.

They’re both viable options

If you’re trying to choose between the Google TV Streamer and the Apple TV 4K, your main consideration will likely be Google TV versus Apple’s rival tvOS. Still, there are plenty of smaller considerations — and as we’ve seen, Google’s got the edge over Apple in a number of ways that might not be immediately obvious.