Apple has a new Apple TV 4K, and it costs more than any streaming box the company has sold before.
The fourth-generation model goes on sale November 13 at $299 for a single 128GB configuration, according to PCMag. That's $50 more than the 128GB version of the outgoing third-generation Apple TV 4K, which launched in 2022 at $149 before Apple raised its prices to $199 and $249 this past June, citing higher costs for processing and storage components. Against that original $129 base price from 2022, the new box costs more than double.
What the extra money buys is a far-field microphone array, so Siri finally works hands-free. Owners of the 2022 model still have to pick up the remote and talk into it. The new unit also runs Apple's A19 chip, the same silicon in the iPhone 17, which PCMag notes is four generations ahead of the A15 Bionic in the old model, with 8GB of memory against 4GB. For scrolling through menus and launching apps, that should make the new box noticeably quicker to respond, though PCMag has not yet run its own tests.
Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 replace Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0, and Ethernet plus Thread border router support, previously reserved for the pricier 2022 configuration, now come standard. The remote picks up Find My with Precision Finding, so anyone with an iPhone 15 or newer can locate it within inches using ultra-wideband, rather than the rough 30-foot estimate the old remote gives.
The headline audio feature is surround sound built from HomePods. The new Apple TV 4K can wirelessly pair with up to two sets of second-generation HomePods or HomePod mini 2 speakers, using them as front and rear channels for Dolby Atmos content. The 2022 box can connect HomePods too, but only for stereo playback.
What hasn't changed
Both generations top out at 4K resolution and handle HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, plus Dolby Atmos audio, so picture and sound quality on paper are identical.
And despite the newer chip, the fourth-generation box doesn't get an exclusive edge on Apple's AI push. Siri AI, the more conversational assistant Apple is rolling out in beta, will land on both the third- and fourth-generation Apple TV 4K once they're running tvOS 27.2, as long as they're paired with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone or iPad through the Home app. Live captions on FaceTime calls follow the same rule, and PCMag notes much of that functionality is expected to reach even the second-generation Apple TV 4K through software updates.
That leaves the decision mostly about price and patience. Anyone leaning on the third-generation box just to stream shows has little reason to pay $299 for identical video quality. For households chasing hands-free Siri, a real HomePod surround setup or a sturdier smart home hub, the new model is the one to wait for when it ships November 13.
HTFiled by The Home Tech Desk
TVs, home appliances and the smart home: refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners, purifiers, robot vacuums, the sets on the wall and the platforms that connect them. Launches, prices in the US and India, and what changed.
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