Apple TV 4K finally gets the new Siri, but it comes with a wallet-busting price

Apple's first new streaming box since 2022 packs a huge chip jump, and a catch for your budget.

Apple TV 4K (4th generation) box and Siri Remote
The new Apple TV 4K (4th generation) and Siri Remote. | Image by Apple
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The Apple TV 4K (4th generation) is official. Apple announced it today with Siri AI and the A19 chip. Retailing for $299, preorders open today and reaches stores on Friday, November 13, joining the iPhone 18 Pro Max in the list of new hardware Apple has released this year.

Video by Apple

Apple TV 4K price and how to get one


This is the first new Apple TV 4K since October 2022, when the 3rd-generation model shipped with the A15 Bionic chip. For this new model, there is only one configuration available and it is retailing for $299.



Preorders are live today in the US and 29 other countries and regions. Stores will get it on Friday, November 13.

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Siri AI on the big screen


Siri AI, Apple's new Siri built on its next-gen Apple Intelligence, fills the screen on the new Apple TV 4K (4th generation). Asking it a question about an Apple TV show will bring up its poster art plus follow-up suggestions.

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Examples of follow-ups you can ask include things like where a show was filmed or whether it's appropriate for a minor. Answers show up in a small overlay so you're never really taken out of the content you're watching.

This is currently a beta in tvOS 27.2 and it is English only at launch in the US, Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa and the UK.

What's new in the hardware besides the A19 chip


Three main new hardware features headline this release. They include:

  • Built-in mics: three far-field mics and echo cancellation let you say 'Hey Siri' or 'Siri' without the remote, even when there's audio playing.
  • New chip: the A19 is up to 50% faster on CPU and up to 2x faster on GPU than the previous generation, and adds a dedicated AV1 decoder. In other words, you get better-looking streams with less internet bandwidth usage.
  • New Siri Remote: the remote looks the same but adds Find My with Precision Finding and a play-sound option.

Extra smarts and the Google TV Streamer competition


For the first time, an Apple TV can run four-speaker surround from four HomePod mini 2 or HomePod (2nd generation) speakers in matching front and rear pairs, tuned automatically to the room. This is something only the 4th-gen box can do.



It also functions as a home hub, meaning when a connected doorbell is rung, the image shows up on the TV so you can talk and unlock the door. Also, camera alerts get Apple Intelligence descriptions and Thread is built in.

The 2022 box launched at $129 and $149, but Apple raised those prices to $199 and $249 in June 2026, and now the new model launches at $299.

The Google TV Streamer is $149.99 after an August 31 price hike from $99.99, and it's had Gemini for TV since November 2025. The Roku Ultra also went to $149.99 in late July. So both of these cost half as much, and Google has had a TV assistant you can talk to normally for about a year.

For those who own one of these competing platforms, Siri AI is just now catching up to Gemini. Apple's real edge here is hands-free mics plus HomePod surround, and that only matters if your home already runs on Apple hardware.

Who should upgrade to the new Apple TV 4K


Considering the Siri AI beta also comes to the Apple TV 4K 2nd gen (2021) and later, most current Apple TV owners get the headline feature for free. This doesn't leave them many reasons for wanting to upgrade.

Upgrading to the new box makes the most sense if you want hands-free Siri or four-speaker HomePod surround. Those who are still on a 1st-gen Apple TV 4K or the Apple TV HD also have a good reason for upgrading.

Ultimately, the upgrades are real, but $299 is double the Google TV Streamer and Roku Ultra price, and it's $170 more than the 2022 model's $129 launch price. As someone who is deeply entrenched in the Google Home ecosystem, I will be passing on this one, but I can see this making a great addition to a home that already runs on the Apple Home ecosystem.

More on Apple's new home lineup:
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