What are all the differences between the Apple TV 2nd Gen and Apple TV 3rd Gen? How many of these models are there? Is one of these older models still worth considering?

Please note that the Apple TV 2nd Gen and Apple TV 3rd Gen both have been discontinued. However, this Q&A has been updated with the latest details and is quite useful for anyone considering one of these models on the used market.

There is one Apple TV 2nd Gen and two different Apple TV 3rd Gen models. At the time the first Apple TV 3rd Gen model initially was released, the main difference was that it supported 1080p video rather than just 720p video like its predecessor.

However, since that time, software differences also have emerged, which make detailed comparison particularly worthwhile. Identification differences also are very important.

External & Connectivity Differences

Externally, the Apple TV 2nd Gen and 3rd Gen models all look identical and look similar to subsequent models, as well.

Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (Apple TV 2nd & 3rd Gen)

All models use a tiny 3.9 inch by 3.9 inch by 0.9 inch black case that resembles a hockey puck and are bundled with the same aluminum Apple Remote.

All models have an optical audio out port, an HDMI port, a 10/100Base-T Ethernet port, a Micro-USB port, and support 802.11a/b/g/n "AirPort Extreme" wireless networking. All models also support Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound via pass-through.

However, the Apple TV 3rd Gen models both support "Bluetooth discovery" of select devices if they are running Apple TV Software Update 6.1 or higher whereas the Apple TV 2nd Gen model does not.

If it is running Apple TV Software Update 7.0 or higher, the second Apple TV 3rd Gen model also supports AirPlay to stream content from a "Mac or iOS device directly to your Apple TV without connecting to your wireless network," whereas the first Apple TV 3rd Gen model does not.

Identification Differences

As the cases are identical, the Apple TV 2nd Gen and 3rd Gen models cannot be externally differentiated by appearance, but they can be easily identified by Model Number and EMC Number, both of which are provided in tiny type toward the bottom of the underside of each device:

Apple TV	Subfamily	Model No.	EMC No.
2nd Gen	2nd Gen	A1378	2411
3rd Gen, 2012	3rd Gen	A1427	2528
3rd Gen, 2013	3rd Gen	A1469	2633

EveryMac.com's Ultimate Lookup feature also can uniquely identify these devices by their Serial Numbers, and this is another method that can be used to find the precise model.

Internal Differences

Apple provides only minimal technical information regarding any Apple TV model. Specifically, Apple reveals that the Apple TV 2nd Gen is powered by an Apple A4 processor and the Apple TV 3rd Gen models are powered by an Apple A5 processor, both with a single processor core.

However, iFixit tore apart the 2nd Gen model and discovered that the Apple A4 processor has a 1 GHz clockspeed and that the device has 256 MB of onboard RAM and 8 GB of flash RAM to act as a buffer during streaming.

As first spotted by MacRumors, a curious member of the XBMC forums was the first to teardown the first 3rd Gen model (A1427) and determined that the Apple A5 processor also runs at 1 GHz and the device has a 8 GB flash RAM buffer, too, but it has 512 MB of onboard RAM. Interestingly, further analysis by Chipworks determined that this 32 nm Apple A5 (APL2498) processor actually has dual cores, but only one is activated or operational.

MacRumors likewise was first to disassemble the second 3rd Gen model (A1469), and reported that compared to the original 3rd Gen, it has a smaller 28 nm version of the Apple A5 processor (S5L8947), but otherwise has effectively identical hardware in terms of performance.

Software Differences

All of these Apple TV models run a modified version of the iOS, but are not capable of running standard iOS applications.

The Apple TV 2nd Gen first shipped with Apple TV 4.1 and cannot run versions of the operating system beyond Apple TV Software Update 6.2.1.

The Apple TV 3rd Gen first shipped with Apple TV 5.1 and cannot run versions of the operating system beyond Apple TV Software Update 7.2.2. Additionally, only the second Apple TV 3rd Gen model (A1469) is capable of using AirPlay without connecting to a Wi-Fi network when running Apple TV Software Update 7.0 or higher.

It also is worth nothing that the Apple TV 2nd Gen is, or at least was, quite popular among the "jailbreak" community who want to run their own software hacks and tweaks whereas the Apple TV 3rd Gen did not attract much interest in this respect. If you have used a quality jailbreak for the Apple TV 3rd Gen models, please share.

Comparison Chart

The major differences -- technical specs, video streaming, software, feature support, and identifiers -- are summarized below:

	Apple TV 2nd Gen	Apple TV 3rd Gen
Processor Type:	Apple A4	Apple A5
Processor Speed:	1 GHz (Variable)	1 GHz (Variable)
Standard RAM:	256 MB	512 MB
Flash Memory:	8 GB	8 GB
Video Support:	720p	1080p
USB Ports:	1 (Micro-USB)	1 (Micro-USB)
Display Ports:	HDMI	HDMI
Audio Ports:	Optical	Optical
5.1 Surround Sound:	Yes	Yes
Bluetooth:	No	Yes (4.0)
Original OS:	Apple TV 4.1	Apple TV 5.1
Maximum OS:	Apple TV 6.2.1	Apple TV 7.2.2
Apple Order No:	MC572LL/A	MD199LL/A
Apple Model No:	A1378	A1427/A1469
EMC No:	2411	2528/2633
Original Price:	US$99	US$99

* The A1469 Apple TV 3rd Gen model supports AirPlay if it is running Apple TV Software Update 7.0 or higher.

So, which one of these Apple TV models is best for my needs?

Just compared to one another, for those who want a simple "out of the box" experience to sling 1080p video around (and who are less interested or uninterested in the "apps" or higher-resolution video support of subsequent Apple TV models), the second version of the Apple TV 3rd Gen (A1469) is the best option.

For those interested in saving a bit more money, an older Apple TV 3rd Gen (A1427) also is worth consideration if you do not mind having to connect to a Wi-Fi network to use AirPlay.

Because of its popularity with the "jailbreak" community, the Apple TV 2nd Gen models tend to hold their value better on the used market, but remain worth consideration if you're the hacker type.

Of course, because none of these devices support the current "tvOS" operating system, software support will dwindle and they likely will become less functional over time. Keep that in mind, too.