Craig is a reporter for Pocket-lint based in Toronto. He earned a diploma in journalism from Seneca Polytechnic and holds a Media Foundations certificate from Humber College. Craig previously interned and wrote for MobileSyrup, a Canadian tech publication. He enjoys reading and writing about consumer technology, especially phones, tablets, and PCs.
Apple TV fans, the wait is finally over.
At its "Welcome home" event in New York City today, Apple unveiled three new home products, including its new HomeView smart home hub, a refreshed HomePod mini, and, at long last, the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K.
It's been four years since Apple last refreshed its streaming box, with the third-gen model launching in 2022 powered by the A15 Bionic chip. Now, Apple is back with a new model packed with major upgrades, all wrapped in a familiar design.
Leading the charge is Apple's A19 chip, which debuted with the iPhone 17 last year. According to Apple, it delivers 50 percent faster CPU performance and twice the GPU performance of the A15-powered Apple TV 4K. Apple is putting that extra power to use by bringing Siri AI and Apple Intelligence support to its streaming box for the first time.
The fourth-gen Apple TV 4K starts at $300, and unlike its predecessor, it comes in just one configuration: a 128GB model with Ethernet. The third-gen Apple TV 4K offered two options: a Wi-Fi-only 64GB model and a 128GB model with both Wi-Fi and Ethernet. This time around, Apple has dropped the cheaper option altogether, opting to sell only the more expensive model. Given the ongoing global memory shortage, that decision isn't entirely surprising.
The new Apple TV 4K is available for pre-order now and launches on November 13.
Lots of upgrades, same design
Wi-Fi 7, Siri AI, and hands-free controls
Beyond the A19 chip, Apple has packed several other hardware upgrades into the new Apple TV 4K. Notably, it now supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, a decent leap from the previous model's Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.
As for the design, the new model looks practically identical to its predecessor, with the same rounded-square shape and black plastic exterior. However, Apple has made one subtle but notable change by adding three far-field microphones, allowing you to interact with Siri AI hands-free to control what you're watching and discover new shows and movies.
Speaking of Siri AI, it's arguably the biggest new feature on the Apple TV 4K. Apple touts it as an "effortless way to find entertainment," thanks to its understanding of your personal context and ability to answer complex questions.
"An entirely new version of Siri powered by the next generation of Apple Intelligence, Siri AI is a profoundly more capable and conversational assistant with personal context understanding, broad world knowledge, and the ability to take even more systemwide app actions, making it effortless to find entertainment," Apple said in a press release.
Apple says you can ask Siri questions like "What Apple TV shows won at the Emmy Awards this year?" and it'll pull up a screen filled with cover art, allowing you to select which show you want to watch. You can also ask questions like "Where was Pluribus filmed?" or check whether a show is age-appropriate by asking, "Is this appropriate for a 15-year-old?"
You can even ask Siri to broaden its search by requesting "More award-winning comedies." Apple says these answers will appear in what it calls a "compact, subtle overlay, providing helpful information when viewers ask."
If you have an iPhone with Apple Intelligence, Siri AI on your Apple TV 4K can also draw on your personal context. For example, you can ask it to "Play the show Alinda recommended" to find the show your friend suggested to you over text.
Siri AI will be available in beta on the new Apple TV 4K at launch in English in the US, Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, and the UK.
Finally, the new Apple TV 4K has one last change up its sleeve: it includes a new Siri remote that keeps the same design but adds Find My support with Precision Finding. So if you lose your remote, it will be much easier to find now.