Apple Launches New Apple TV 4K With Siri AI, Priced at $299

Apple announced the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K on October 13, 2026, according to the company's newsroom. The streaming box is built around Apple's A19 chip and introduces Siri AI, a new version of Siri powered by Apple Intelligence that is designed to handle voice-based show discovery and questions about what viewers are watching.

What changed in the hardware

Apple says the A19 chip delivers up to 50 percent more CPU performance and up to twice the GPU performance of the previous generation and includes a dedicated AV1 decoder, according to Apple's newsroom. The new box adds three far-field microphones with echo cancellation, so Siri can be triggered hands-free from across a room, Apple and TechCrunch reported. The remote, first introduced in 2023, includes a built-in speaker that plays a sound to help users find it, in addition to its existing Find My support — the speaker does not replace Find My, according to Apple and TechCrunch.

How Siri AI works

Siri AI runs as a full-screen conversational interface on the TV. Apple's newsroom post says it can draw on broad world knowledge to answer follow-up questions during a show, and, when paired with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone, can use personal context. Engadget's hands-on reporting gave an example query — asking the assistant to "play the show Sam texted me about" — which pulls information from Messages. TechCrunch cited other sample questions, such as which Apple TV shows won Emmy Awards or where a specific series was filmed. According to Engadget, Siri's answers appear as text in a corner of the screen rather than as spoken audio that interrupts what is playing.

Apple also said the device can act as a home hub, controlling HomeKit accessories, showing doorbell notifications on screen, and generating Apple Intelligence descriptions for HomeKit Secure Video clips. Engadget reported that up to four HomePod mini 2 or second-generation HomePod speakers can now be combined for four-speaker surround sound with the new Apple TV, compared with stereo-pair limits previously. The HomePod mini 2, launched alongside the Apple TV 4K, moves to Apple's S10 chip from the S5 used in the 2020 model; Engadget noted that Siri AI support on the speaker itself is arriving after launch.

Price increase and reaction

The new Apple TV 4K starts at $299, or $49.83 per month for six months in the United States, with pre-orders open immediately and shipping starting November 13 in the U.S. and 29 other countries and regions, Apple said. According to Yahoo Finance, Apple attributed part of the cost increase to the broader AI-driven surge in demand for memory and storage chips, which the company said has pushed up component prices across the industry. Yahoo Finance's report traced the Apple TV 4K's price history: the prior generation launched in 2022 at $129, rose to $149 for a higher-storage configuration, and was later priced at $249 before this redesign.

Yahoo Finance reported that the increase drew criticism from some longtime Apple customers. Mike Wuerthele, managing editor of AppleInsider, said the new features were not worth $299 and that he planned to keep his existing device rather than upgrade; the outlet also cited an online forum comment expressing reluctance to pay $299. The same report noted that competing streaming devices, including the Roku Ultra and Google TV Streamer, are priced around $149, and that owners of 2021-2022 Apple TV models will still receive Siri AI features without buying new hardware.

Background

TechCrunch reported that Apple had originally planned to release an AI-driven Siri overhaul in 2024, but delays in developing the AI-powered assistant pushed the feature, and this Apple TV redesign, back to 2026.

• A19 chip: up to 50% more CPU performance, up to 2x GPU performance vs. prior model, with dedicated AV1 decoder (Apple)
• Three far-field microphones for hands-free Siri (Apple, TechCrunch)
• Built-in Wi-Fi and Thread connectivity for smart-home control (Apple)
• Up to four-speaker surround sound with HomePod mini 2 or HomePod 2nd gen (Engadget)
• Remote with built-in speaker for locating it, in addition to Find My support (Apple, TechCrunch)