The rumors were right. Apple's fourth-generation Apple TV 4K brings an A19 chip, hands-free Siri AI and a findable remote, but its $299 price has buyers hesitating.
Apple's new Apple TV 4K, announced October 13, confirmed nearly every rumor: an A19 chip, Siri AI, microphones in the box for hands-free "Hey Siri," and a Siri Remote with Precision Finding and a speaker so you can find it.
The fourth-generation model comes in one version, priced at $299, with 128GB of storage, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, Ethernet and Thread. It ships November 13.
If you have a 1080p Apple TV, it is a big upgrade. If you have the 2022 model, buying the remote alone may be enough. Siri AI is coming to older models as a beta.
The rumored Apple TV 4K upgrades turned out to be real. Apple unveiled its fourth-generation Apple TV 4K at its Welcome home event on October 13, the first new model since 2022, and it delivered the faster A19 chip, Siri AI and a Siri Remote you can make beep when it vanishes into the couch.
What the rumors missed was the price. The new box costs $299, and it is the only model Apple now sells. That makes the upgrade question harder than it looks, because some of the headline features are also coming to the Apple TV you may already own. Here is what is new, what is exclusive and who should actually buy one.
Nearly every pre-launch rumor held up. The main Apple TV 4K upgrades are:
The rumored N1 wireless chip is the one item Apple has not spelled out. The new Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support is widely expected to come from it, but Apple has not confirmed that.
The A19 also adds a dedicated AV1 decoder. AV1 is a newer video format that streaming services use to deliver sharp pictures with less data, which helps on slower internet connections.
The biggest everyday change is hands-free voice control. Thanks to the microphones in the box, you can say “Siri” or “Hey Siri” from the couch, much like talking to a HomePod. Pressing the button on the remote still works too.
Paired with Siri AI, that means asking questions such as where a show was filmed, whether a movie suits a 15-year-old, or to play something a friend recommended. Apple says Siri AI is also coming to the second- and third-generation Apple TV 4K, as a beta on the older boxes. Those models lack built-in mics, though, so you will still talk through the remote.
If having an always-listening microphone under your TV bothers you, that is a fair thing to weigh. It is part of the hardware, unlike on older models.
The new Siri Remote looks the same as before, but it now works with Find My and Precision Finding, the feature that guides you step by step to a lost AirTag. A small speaker inside lets you play a sound to track it down. It also moves to Bluetooth 6 and weighs a little more, at 69.6 grams.
Here is the good part: the remote is sold separately for $59 and works with older Apple TV 4K models. If a lost remote is your main frustration, you can fix that without buying a whole new box.
Apple used to sell two versions, a cheaper 64GB model without an Ethernet port and a 128GB model with one. Now there is a single model with 128GB of storage, Gigabit Ethernet and Thread, the low-power smart home standard that lets the Apple TV act as a home hub. You cannot pay for more storage.
HomePod owners get one exclusive extra: four-speaker surround sound. Using HomePod mini 2 or HomePod (2nd generation) speakers in matching front and rear pairs, the Apple TV works out where each one sits and calibrates timing and volume to the room. You can mix models, for example a HomePod 2 pair up front and a HomePod mini 2 pair behind you.
The price is the sticking point. At $299, the new box costs far more than the model it replaces, and early reviews have called the upgrade incremental. Critics also point out it still lacks HDMI pass-through, which some rival streamers offer for home theater setups.
It depends on what you have now. If you are still on the old 1080p Apple TV (3rd generation), the jump is huge: 4K, HDR, Dolby Atmos and Siri all arrive at once.
If you own the 2022 Apple TV 4K, the case is weaker. You will get Siri AI through a software update and can buy the new remote on its own. What you would be paying for is hands-free Siri, four-HomePod surround sound, faster performance and the newer Wi-Fi. That is worth it mainly for people deep in Apple’s smart home world or those who play games on the box.
Apple has since released tvOS 27.2 for Apple TV 4K owners, so check Settings for the latest software either way.
Pre-orders opened on October 13, and the box is available from Friday, November 13.
It costs $299 in the US. There is one model with 128GB of storage.
Yes. Apple says Siri AI is coming to the second- and third-generation Apple TV 4K, but only the new model has built-in mics for hands-free use.
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