Is the new Apple TV this year’s most exciting release from Cupertino?

The new Apple TV is here, and there’s no doubt it’s the best set-top box we’ve seen from Cupertino, with powerful new hardware and the tvOS operating system, Siri integration — and most importantly, support for third-party apps and games.

If you’re into movies and TV shows, or playing the greatest iOS games on your big screen, the new Apple TV is probably at the top of your wish-list if you haven’t already bought one. But how does it compare to the other products Apple has launched this year? Is it better than the rest?

Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight between Cult of Android and Cult of Mac as we battle it out over that very question!

Luke Dormehl (Writer, Cult of Mac): So Apple TV went on preorder this week, and am I totally crazy in thinking that this is the most exciting thing that Apple has announced all year?

Don’t get me wrong: I don’t think it’s got a hope in hell of overtaking the iPhone as Apple’s biggest-selling device, it’s not going to get the fashionable press the Apple Watch got, and Apple’s not rolling out the red carpet for celebrities to come on board like they did with Apple Music. But it’s still my most anticipated device of 2015.

Here’s the rub: everyone knows iPhones are great. For my money, they’re the best smartphones around — but with the exception of 3D Touch this year’s model was a minor improvement on last year’s major redesign. The Apple Watch is a fun device searching for a use-case, and the iPad suffers the same “what’s new?” problem as the latest iPhone.

But TV represents a business that’s already mass market, and which has been waiting years for a company like Apple to come along and transform it. Siri universal search, a dedicated App Store that’s tailor-made for cord cutters, games, and the (rumored) promise of exclusive, Netflix-style shows in the future… all of this is crazily exciting. On top of that, Apple’s decision to bring Siri’s voice search feature to Apple Music on the Apple TV shows just how serious it is about making its set-top box a veritable entertainment center for your living room.

Give it a while for HomeKit to take off, and the Apple TV could mark a return to the “digital hub” Steve Jobs once referred to the Mac as. I love TV, and I genuinely think Apple has pulled off something great here. I’m excited. So go ahead and tell me why I’m wrong to put my faith in Apple.

Killian Bell (Writer, Cult of Android): The new Apple TV does look pretty great. I’ve been waiting for Apple to give it its own App Store for years, and I can’t wait to see what kind of apps and games developers build for it. I will almost certainly be treating myself to one for Christmas. But let’s get one thing straight: the new Apple TV does not transform TV.

The new model doesn’t do anything that rival set-top boxes weren’t already doing; others have had their own app stores and universal search and voice controls for some time. I do think Apple’s App Store will be the best, and Apple TV has other advantages that some fans will appreciate, like Apple Music. But it’s not revolutionary.

It’s not even the most exciting device Apple announced this year.

Sure, the new iPhone looks the same as the old one, but it’s a huge upgrade. 3D Touch alone is going to change the way we interact with touchscreen devices and mobile operating systems, and over time, every smartphone and tablet — even those from third-party vendors — will have a pressure-sensitive display.

The Apple Watch isn’t just a “fun” device, either; it’s an incredibly useful device that has plenty of use cases. Those who choose to invest in one will use it and rely on it far more than they will their Apple TV. I’ve worn my Apple Watch every single day since it was delivered, and I’m much more excited to see where Apple will take wearables than how it will deliver our favorite TV shows.

These things will enrich our lives in bigger and more profound ways than Apple TV will. I don’t even need to mention iPad Pro, which finally allows the tablet to replace the notebook for some, and the new MacBook, which is an incredible feat of engineering.

Luke: Hey, the fact that all of these have arrived in the same year means we all win at the end of the day, right? But I think you are selling Apple TV short. I know you’re not a big TV or movie viewer, so I can see why it may not be a big deal to you, but I really believe the impact is enormous. You talk about there being rival services and, while that’s true, there were also MP3 players before the iPod, and smartphones before the iPhone. And Apple blew away the competition in both of those cases.

The fact is that you’re taking quite a narrow view of what this device has the potential to be. TV is just one part of it, although Apple has the power to broker content deals that no other company on the earth can do. How about games on the Apple TV, or the perfect interface for listening to Apple Music, or the idea that, longer-term, this has the potential to be the hub for your smart home? I’ve been waiting years for someone to come along and shake up TV, and I think Apple may be the company to finally crack it.

Killian: It’s not that I think Apple TV won’t have a big impact, because I’m sure it will in many ways. And I do think it will deliver a greater user experience than rival devices, especially for Apple fans who are already part of the ecosystem. But I don’t think it will have a bigger impact than 3D Touch and Apple Watch.

Apple TV won’t ever be the perfect interface for Apple Music, or any music service, I don’t think. I’m sure gaming will be great — and that’s the bit I’m most excited for — but Apple TV isn’t going to change the way we game, or even replace consoles for most gamers. It may be the ideal hub for smart homes, but not everyone wants a smart home in the same way not everyone wants an Apple Watch, which comes with a much smaller entry fee.

I’m certainly not suggesting Apple TV will be a failure; I think the improvements the latest model brings are what Apple TV really needed to take off in a big way. But it won’t be more important, or more impactful, than Apple Watch or Apple’s latest iOS devices, I don’t think.

Let’s hand this one over to the readers now. How excited are you for Apple TV?

Friday Night Fights is a series of weekly death matches between two no-mercy brawlers who will fight to the death — or at least agree to disagree — about which is better: Apple or Google, iOS or Android?

Killian Bell

Killian Bell is a freelance writer based in the U.K. He has an interest in all things tech and also covers Android over at CultofAndroid.com. You can follow him on Twitter via @killianbell.