I never deliberately put my Apple TV remote somewhere difficult to find. And yet, that petite silver stick always ends up… misplaced. So when Apple showed me an Apple TV remote that can actually make a noise when you lose it, I was pretty much ready to upgrade on the spot.
That audible chime for the companion remote are probably the most practical upgrades coming to Apple's new $299 Apple TV 4K, which I got an early look at ahead of its official announcement. The streaming box is also getting an A19 chip, hands-free Siri AI and support for up to four HomePod speakers for a more immersive home theater setup.
Speaking of speakers, Apple also introduced the $149 HomePod mini 2, which brings new colors, a clever lighting feature and tighter integration with your Mac. While the speaker itself is a fairly modest refresh, it's another piece of Apple's increasingly connected approach to home entertainment and access to Siri AI.
After seeing some of these features demonstrated together, I think the most interesting changes aren't necessarily about what you watch or listen to, but how much easier Apple wants to make the home entertainment experience.
You can finally ping your Apple TV remote…
Apple has already offered Find My for tracking down compatible Siri Remotes with an iPhone, but the newest remote adds a built-in speaker, something that Apple TV users have been begging Apple to deliver.
In practice, you ask Siri where your remote is, and it'll play a chime to help you locate it. You can also use Find My with Precision Finding to guide you toward the remote's location.
I appreciate having both options, but if the remote is lost somewhere in the depths of the couch, an audible alert seems a lot more convenient.
Better yet, Apple says the new remote is backward compatible with existing Apple TV hardware. So if this is the feature that catches your attention most, you won't necessarily need to replace your entire streaming box to take advantage of it.
… or ditch the physical remote entirely
Apple is also making picking up the remote optional in the first place. The new Apple TV 4K has three far-field microphones, allowing you to speak to Siri from across the room without pressing a button on the remote.
And with Siri AI, Apple's voice assistant is getting substantially more capable at understanding what you're actually asking.
One demonstration involved asking Siri to find a show that a friend had recommended over text. Rather than remembering the title or digging through your messages, Siri can leverage personal context from your iPhone to help figure out what you meant.
You can also ask Siri more conversational questions about what you're watching or describe the kind of movie you're in the mood for without necessarily knowing its title.
It's worth noting that the new Siri AI experience will initially launch in beta in English, so some of these capabilities won't necessarily be available to everyone right away.
Apple TV 4K can now pair with four HomePods
This new Apple TV 4K can now pair with up to four compatible HomePod speakers to create an immersive surround sound setup. Previously, you could only connect two.
In the demonstration, two HomePod (2nd Gen) speakers sat on either side of the TV screen, while two HomePod mini 2 devices acted as the rears. The system also automatically calibrates the speakers to the room, taking some of the work out of getting everything configured.
Unfortunately the system only works with the latest generation of Apple TV 4K, HomePod and now HomePod mini. But the whole array comes out to about $1,300, which is actually a relatively fair asking price for a surround sound set up
HomePod mini 2 gets minor, yet colorful upgrades
Alongside the Apple TV 4K, Apple unveiled the second-generation HomePod mini, priced at $149.
The new speaker features an S10 chip, Siri AI support (via a compatible iPhone with Apple Intelligence) and five colors: green, blue, pink, white and midnight.
But the most visually interesting upgrade is a feature called Sound Glow, which lets the lights on top of the HomePod mini change color to coordinate with the album artwork of whatever you're listening to. This feature works with Apple Music or any third-party streaming that supports Now Playing information. It also works with ambient sounds.
The new HomePod mini can be configured as your Mac's default audio output, allowing it to handle everything from video calls to gaming. I listened to it demonstrated with games, emphasizing the responsiveness of the connection.
Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini 2: Early verdict
I think it's safe to say the HomePod mini 2 isn't quite as substantial an upgrade as the new Apple TV 4K, but it’s arguably a necessary refresh if Apple wants its users acclimating to Siri AI throughout their home.
The new Apple TV 4K is becoming a device you can interact with more naturally, while HomePods are taking on a bigger role in everything from your living room audio to your Mac setup.
There's still plenty I want to test, particularly the reliability of Siri AI and whether four HomePods can deliver a convincing surround sound experience compared to what you get with, say, Sonos or Bose.
But I like that Apple hasn't overlooked the little improvements in pursuit of bigger AI features. As impressive as the new Siri capabilities sound, there's something to be said for a remote that simply makes itself easier to find. For me, the best upgrade is the one that saves you five minutes of digging through the couch.