The new Apple TV 4K lets you ask Siri AI what to watch from across the room, no remote required.
The A19-powered box arrives November 13 for $299, making it $100 more expensive than the previous model’s starting price. It’s the first Apple TV 4K refresh since 2022.
The new Apple TV supports four-speaker surround sound, and it finally gets perhaps the most-requested feature ever: The new Siri Remote gets Find My — making a lost clicker a thing of the past.
The new Apple TV 4K gets full-screen Siri AI
The new Apple TV 4K finally gives the living room a brain. Siri AI brings conversational search, on-screen answers, and hands-free voice control to the big screen, while the new A19 chip and built-in microphones elevate the box from a simple streaming device to an intelligent home-theater hub.
Apple unveiled the new Apple TV 4K on Tuesday, at a “Welcome Home” event in New York. The company calls Siri AI an entirely new version of Siri powered by Apple Intelligence.
On Apple TV 4K, the assistant is designed to become a primary interface. It fills the screen with answers. Simply ask which Apple TV shows won Emmys this year, and it will show poster art from the Apple TV app. You’ll also see follow-up suggestions and more award-winning comedies.
While you watch, Siri AI can answer questions about the show. Apple’s examples include where Pluribus was filmed and whether a specific show is appropriate for a 15-year-old to watch. Answers appear in a compact overlay, so you can read them while the picture stays on screen.
If you have an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone, Siri AI can also make use of personal context. For example, you can ask Siri AI to play a show someone recommended.
Bob Borchers, Apple’s vice president of worldwide product marketing, called the box Apple’s “most immersive home theater experience yet” in a press release Tuesday.
Three microphones make Siri hands-free
The new Apple TV 4K has three far-field microphones, enabling you to talk to Siri without reaching for the remote. They also feature advanced echo cancellation, which helps the set-top box isolate your voice from background sound.
What’s more, the microphones even work when audio is playing. But far-field support will vary by region and language.
Just like the Apple Watch Series 12, Apple says microphone data is processed in Secure Exclaves. These compartmentalized runtimes keep that data separate from the rest of the system.
Siri requests can either run on-device or use Private Cloud Compute. Apple says data processed there is neither stored nor made accessible to Apple or anyone else.
A19 chip speeds things up, and Siri Remote finally gets Find My
Compared to its predecessor, the new Apple TV 4K with the A19 chip delivers up to 50% faster CPU performance, with GPU performance now 2x faster, Apple says. Then there’s the new AV1 decoder, which promises more efficient streaming with less bandwidth.
The Siri Remote retains its familiar design, but adds Find My support with Precision Finding and an option to play a sound. Apple says the new Siri Remote is compatible with Apple TV HD as well as Apple TV 4K, and is available to buy separately.
HomePod mini 2 enables four-speaker surround sound
For the first time, users can build a four-speaker surround sound setup with Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini 2, which Apple also unveiled Tuesday. The speakers recognize their position in the room, calibrating audio timing and levels automatically.
The second-generation HomePod also works in the setup. Apple’s photos show two HomePods up front and two HomePod mini 2 speakers in the back.
Apple TV 4K doubles up as a smarter hub
Like its predecessor, the new Apple TV 4K can serve as a home hub, making the new hardware a viable alternative to HomeView, the smart home hub Apple introduced Tuesday. If you own a HomeKit- or Matter-compatible doorbell, notifications will appear on your TV’s screen. You’ll be able to see who is at the door, speak with them, and unlock it. And none of that interrupts what you’re watching.
Apple Intelligence can also be used to generate camera activity descriptions for HomeKit Secure Video. But that requires an eligible iPad or iPhone with an active iCloud+ plan.
Apple TV 4K arrives four years after the last one
Preorders start today in the United States and 29 other countries and regions. Stores will start selling the upgraded streaming box on November 13. The price is $299. That’s $100 more than the previous model’s $199 starting price, which itself rose from $129 earlier this year.
You can also choose to pay $49.83 per month for six months using Apple Card Monthly Installments in the United States. But that’s subject to credit approval.
Siri AI is available in beta in tvOS 27.2, and works with Apple TV 4K (2nd generation) or later.
Anurag Chawake is a tech-focused writer specializing in smartphones, apps and consumer technology. His interest in computers began during the Windows 98 era, eventually leading him to explore everything from operating systems to mobile devices and PC hardware. Anurag previously contributed to The Indian Express, covering Apple, Android, gaming and the broader technology landscape.
