Apple launched a new $299 Apple TV 4K streaming device today, with an upgraded chip, integration with the updated version of Siri AI for content discovery, and mics that allow users to issue voice commands directly without using the remote.
The refreshed Apple TV 4K comes with an upgraded A19 chip to enable various AI features. Hardware-wise, the new streaming box comes with three far-field microphones, letting users talk with Siri without a remote or a paired HomePod.
The company said that users can now have a four-speaker surround sound experience with Apple TV 4K and HomePod mini 2 or HomePod 2 speakers.
The remote also gets a welcome update: it now includes a small speaker. This helps users find the remote easily when it gets lost in the nooks and corners of the couch or when they leave the remote in another room while doing a chore. (Apple added a way to find the remote with Siri and Find My in 2023, but it hinged on showing directions in the app rather than an audible sound.)
With Siri AI now rolling out to all Apple platforms, the big draw for Apple is to utilize it for better personalization and content recommendations. On the Apple TV, viewers can ask questions like “What Apple TV shows won at the Emmy Awards this year?” to search for content or ask for more information about shows with questions like “Where was Pluribus filmed?”
Rivals Google and Amazon have also added AI for content suggestions in the past few years
The device is not updated as often as other Apple hardware, given this long-pending upgrade comes four years after the launch of Apple TV 4K in 2022. Bloomberg reported that the company wanted to launch the new device in 2024, but delays in launching the AI-powered Siri forced Apple to push the launch of new home devices as well.
Consumers can pre-order the new Apple TV 4K starting today, and the device will be available on November 13.
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Ivan covers global consumer tech developments at TechCrunch. He is based out of India and has previously worked at publications including Huffington Post and The Next Web.
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