Apple’s fourth-generation Apple TV 4K, available starting November 13, 2026, for $299 (128GB with Ethernet, Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 6), has drawn strong, but qualified praise from major outlets. Reviewers call it the best premium streaming device available thanks to its A19 chip, refined performance, hands-free Siri, and an improved Siri Remote — yet nearly all flag the steep price increase and the still-inconsistent Siri AI experience as significant drawbacks.
The box looks nearly identical to the 2022 model (with only a centered status light and tiny dimensional changes), but the internals jump from the A15 Bionic to the A19 chip used in the iPhone 17. Apple claims up to 50% faster CPU performance and up to 2x faster GPU performance. Testers report snappier navigation, smoother animations, and solid headroom for future updates, though everyday streaming differences feel modest for owners of the prior generation.
What Hi-Fi? awarded top marks for picture and sound, praising stronger upscaling of HD/SD content, subtle refinements in 4K HDR detail and shading, and cleaner, more dynamic audio. PCMag gave it 4.5/5 and an Editors’ Choice, calling it the fastest, cleanest, ad-free streamer tested. The Verge scored it 8/10 and Engadget 8.5/10, with both affirming it remains the premium pick for picture quality, interface polish, and ecosystem features (including Matter smart-home hub support and new four-HomePod surround sound).
The new Siri Remote stands out as a practical win. It keeps the familiar aluminum design, USB-C charging, and controls, but adds Find My support with Precision Finding (directional guidance and distance on compatible iPhones such as the 17 series, Air, or Duo) plus a built-in speaker that plays a locating sound. Multiple reviewers called this the feature they noticed and appreciated most, especially for families who constantly lose remotes in cushions. The remote is sold separately for $59 and works with older Apple TV 4K and even Apple TV HD models, so existing owners can add the capability without a full upgrade.
Hands-free Siri is the other headline hardware addition: three far-field microphones on the box itself let users say “Hey Siri” from across the room without the remote. Combined with Siri AI (a beta powered by Apple Intelligence that supports more conversational recommendations, follow-ups, and personal context from a paired iPhone/iPad), it enables natural-language searches and smart-home control. PCMag found it responsive and accurate in testing, including multi-step commands. Others were more measured: The Verge, Stuff, Tom’s Guide, and 9to5Mac described useful results alongside inconsistencies, mishears, slow responses, and occasional wrong suggestions. Siri AI is also rolling out via software to second- and third-generation Apple TV 4K models.
The consensus on price is nearly unanimous and critical. At $299, the new model is substantially more expensive than the 2022 generation’s launch prices ($129–$149) and even its later raised prices. Outlets from Engadget (“drastically more expensive”) and The Verge to Stuff, 9to5Mac, and What Hi-Fi? note that cheaper Google, Amazon, and Roku alternatives stream the same apps in 4K for a fraction of the cost. For users already deep in the Apple ecosystem (especially those with HomePods wanting the new surround setup), it is still the top recommendation. For pure streaming or owners of a 2022 model, most reviewers advise sticking with what they have or waiting for a sale — or simply buying the new remote alone.
In short, the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K is a polished, future-proofed premium streamer that keeps Apple at the top of the category. The A19 speed, hands-free Siri, and especially the Find My-enabled remote are real improvements. But the $299 price and Siri AI’s beta status mean the upgrade case is narrower than the product’s overall quality might suggest.
MacDailyNews Take: The problem with the new Apple TV 4K is clearly the price. We’ve been waiting for years to upgrade older Apple TV 4K units on ten screens (at $299 each, that’d be $2,990 total), so suffice to say that we’re waiting on about eight of those screens for the new Apple TV 4K to go on sale – and it’d better be a deep discount sale, too!
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I’m very fuzzy on what the 2X – 3X price premium gets you compared to the Roku Ultra, for example.
Future proofed? That’s laughable.