Four years after its last revision, Apple's living room box finally has fresh silicon. The updated Apple TV 4K costs $299 in the US and Rs 39,900 in India, with pre-orders live today and store availability arriving on November 13.
At the center of the hardware sits the A19 chip, stepping in for the A15 Bionic that powered the 2022 release. Apple claims the silicon jump offers up to 50 percent faster CPU output alongside double the graphics capability. The silicon also incorporates a dedicated AV1 decoder, bringing hardware-level efficiency to newer high-efficiency video streams.
Mic arrays and conversational search
You no longer need to grab the clicker to tell the TV what to play. Apple built a trio of far-field microphones directly into the set-top box. The array uses echo cancellation to pick up voices over whatever movie is rattling the room, routing hands-free requests directly into the new Siri AI engine.
The refreshed assistant leans on conversational phrasing rather than rigid syntax. You can ask for Emmy-winning series or request background details about actors on screen without navigating search grids. When linked with an Apple Intelligence handset or tablet, Siri can also pull personal recommendations from your message threads. Indian buyers should note that Siri AI will run in an English-only beta at launch.
Bloomberg previously reported that Apple aimed to ship this refresh back in 2024, but held back the hardware until its revised Siri architecture was ready across the broader ecosystem.
A remote that beeps back
The most practical quality-of-life tweak sits inside the aluminum Siri Remote. It now features an integrated acoustic speaker. Instead of staring at directional arrows on an iPhone screen, Find My can trigger an audible chime when the accessory slips between seat cushions. The updated remote remains backwards-compatible with older Apple TV hardware and will sell on its own as an accessory.
For living room audio, the box can now manage a four-speaker surround sound arrangement using HomePod mini 2 or full-sized second-generation HomePods. The platform detects unit placement in the room to balance channel delays between front and rear pairings automatically.
The hardware continues serving as a Thread-enabled smart home hub, delivering security camera activity breakdowns and video doorbell alerts on the screen. Deliveries and general retail sales begin 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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