New microphones, a new remote and the new Siri AI are on the company’s streaming box.
Apple
As part of Apple's smart home push, the company has unveiled an updated version of the Apple TV 4K that supports Siri AI. There are a number of new features for the streaming box, not just for the company's voice assistant. Perhaps most notable, at least for me, are the upgrades to the remote, but there are both voice and audio upgrades that will enhance the overall experience of using the device as well.
First and foremost, the new Apple TV 4K has been overhauled for Siri AI. The assistant is primarily used for discovery, but it can also answer general questions on screen. Rather than spoken audio responses, the answers to your queries are displayed in the corner of your TV so they don't block whatever you're watching. Apple added far field microphones to the device itself, so there's now a fully hands-free experience for Siri that doesn't require a remote. This new Apple TV also leverages info from your iPhone, so you can say things like "Play that show Jeff texted me about," and the streaming box knows exactly what you're looking for.
Speaking of the remote, you can now ask Siri where the Apple TV remote is and it will play a sound from the accessory. This will definitely come in handy at my house as we're constantly misplacing the remote. And of course, you can still use Find My to locate it as well.
When it comes to audio, the Apple TV 4K now supports four HomePod speakers as a surround sound setup. Previously, you could only use two of those as a stereo pair. Now, so long as you have either the second-generation HomePod or HomePod mini 2, or two of each, you can use a quartet for more robust living room audio.
The Apple TV 4K will cost $299, which is $100 more than the starting price of the previous version, even after a price hike this year. It will be available for pre-order starting today and hits store shelves on November 13.