Apple is expected to unveil a new Apple TV 4K at its ‘Welcome Home’ event on Tuesday — and it arrives amid mounting pressure to fix what PCMag calls an ‘overpriced and outdated’ streaming box. The current model launched in 2022. It now costs $200 in the US and Rs 19,999 in India, up $70 from its previous price, following a June 2026 hike Apple attributed to rising memory and storage costs.
That puts it well above rivals: the Roku Ultra sells for $149.99, the Fire TV Cube for $199.99, and most mid-tier streamers still sit under $100. No official pricing or specs for the new model have been confirmed. But PCMag’s home theater expert lays out four non-negotiable upgrades Apple must deliver if it wants buyers to swallow that $200 tag again.
First: hands-free Siri. Right now, you must pick up the remote, press a button, and speak into it. Unlike the Fire TV Cube’s far-field mics or the Roku Ultra’s always-listening remote. Second: drop the $50 Ethernet add-on.
The current Apple TV 4K charges extra for wired connectivity, while competitors bundle it. Third: Wi-Fi 6E. Not essential for basic 4K streaming, but critical for stability in dense apartment buildings and homes with dozens of connected devices. Fourth: HDMI pass-through, a feature the Fire TV Cube already offers, letting users route a game console or Blu-ray player through the box without switching TV inputs.
None of these are minor tweaks. They’re table stakes for a premium media hub in 2026. And none are guaranteed. Apple has not previewed the new device.
No launch date, no pre-order window, no spec sheet has been shared. What’s certain is the timing: the ‘Welcome Home’ event lands Tuesday. If Apple doesn’t address at least two of these gaps. Especially price and voice control, the new Apple TV 4K risks landing not as a refresh, but as a relic.
CDFiled by The Computing Desk
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