One of the most common sources of confusion in the Apple ecosystem is precisely the name “Apple TV”, which refers to two completely distinct things, often mentioned together interchangeably by mistake.
Apple TV, the device
Apple TV (today in its Apple TV 4K variant) is a small hardware device, about the size of a deck of cards, that plugs into your TV via HDMI and acts as a hub for all the major streaming apps — Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ and many others — as well as Apple TV+. It runs tvOS, Apple’s dedicated operating system, with its own App Store, games via Apple Arcade (a separate subscription giving access to a catalog of titles with no ads or in-app purchases), and integration features with the Apple ecosystem like AirPlay and Handoff.
Apple TV+, the service
Apple TV+ is instead Apple’s subscription streaming service, with original shows and movies (like Ted Lasso or Severance) produced directly by Cupertino, along the same lines as Netflix or Disney+ but with an entirely original catalog, no licensed third-party content. You don’t need to own the Apple TV device to watch it: Apple TV+ is available through the “Apple TV” app even on compatible Samsung, LG and Sony smart TVs, on Android TV/Google TV devices, on PlayStation and Xbox consoles, and via browser at tv.apple.com.
How to keep them straight
A good rule of thumb: if you’re talking about a physical box you plug into your TV, you mean the Apple TV device; if you’re talking about what to watch, you almost certainly mean the Apple TV+ service. You can have one without the other, in either direction: owning the Apple TV device without an Apple TV+ subscription (using it just for Netflix or Prime Video, for instance), or subscribing to Apple TV+ without owning the device, watching it from another platform or directly on an iPhone or iPad.
