New Apple TV 4K for $299: Faster Chip, Formula 1 Price, and I Stay on My Old One

After HomeView, the second big product from Apple’s “Welcome home” event is the new Apple TV 4K. Four years after the last model, as reported by 9to5Mac and MacRumors, Apple gives it an A19 chip, Siri AI and microphones in the box. And a price of $299.

For me, this is a mega disappointment that I do not want to believe. But we have what we have. And it is the same price as HomeView, which I already called a flop.

In this article: What Apple announced · $299: you will find something better · The June price hike was preparation · Faster chip, Formula 1 price · Siri AI on old models: please, Apple · Again: you need a new iPhone · Microphones? I am not afraid · A $59 remote: what a surprise · I stay on my old Apple TV · HomeView and Apple TV, both $299: neither · Four years of waiting for this? · FAQ

What Apple announced

The new Apple TV 4K has an A19 chip, the same as in the iPhone 17, with up to 50% faster CPU and up to 2x faster GPU performance than the A15 model. It gets Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, AV1 video support, and three far-field microphones, so you can just say “Siri” without pressing the remote. There is one model with 128GB and Ethernet. It also supports surround sound with four HomePods.

The new Siri Remote has Find My with Precision Finding and a built-in speaker. It costs $59 separately and works with older Apple TV models. But Precision Finding needs an iPhone 17 or newer, an iPhone Air or an iPhone Duo.

$299: you will find something better

Who does not have an Apple TV and wants the new version can take it. But for this price, in my opinion, you will rather find something better on the market. Not for iOS, where Apple TV is comfortable. But streaming sticks are much cheaper than Apple TV. You can easily find one for under $100, and you will have the same, maybe even better features.

Readers on MacRumors agree. One compared it to an Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K that costs a fraction of the price. And 9to5Mac noted that you can buy a 65-inch 4K TV with the Apple TV app built in for $299.

The June price hike was preparation

In June, Apple raised the price of the old Apple TV 4K from $129 to $199 and from $149 to $249. Now the new one comes at $299.

In my opinion, I am 100% sure that it was only preparation for what was waiting for us today. I am curious when the boomerang comes back against today’s presentation and what they do with us. I talked about Apple prices in my JP Morgan article too: fewer devices at higher prices is, in my opinion, a trap.

Faster chip, Formula 1 price

Yes, it is faster. But the price also went up as fast as Formula 1. You put a more powerful chip in there, nothing less on the market. And for TVs, there are very cheap competitors, and you have smart TVs too.

So pay so much extra just because of a few apps like Netflix, YouTube and so on? No. I look at it rationally.

Siri AI on old models: please, Apple

Siri AI comes as a beta to the Apple TV 4K from 2021 and 2022 too. Good for owners, but please, Apple. I am already ashamed of your Siri, and you keep riding on it. In my opinion, it is junk, not AI.

Again: you need a new iPhone

Personal Siri requests on the new Apple TV need an iPhone or iPad with Apple Intelligence. Precision Finding for the remote needs an iPhone 17 or newer.

It is what I said with HomeView. In my opinion, Apple forces us to new things only so we buy new phones from them, so we have the support of the iOS ecosystem. Otherwise, all the new features will not work.

Microphones? I am not afraid

Some readers are worried about microphones in the box that always listen for “Siri”. One of the most liked comments on 9to5Mac was exactly about that.

Here I will say it straight: with Apple, I would not be very afraid. Tell me, people who write that you are afraid, how long are you without your iPhone? Where is a microphone? It is with you all the time. And you are not afraid of that?

A $59 remote: what a surprise

A remote with Find My for $59. That is really a wonderful, wonderful surprise from Apple. I say it as irony, of course. In my opinion, we almost overpay even for the box, because they tell us it is a box with a different logo. They make a whole show out of everything.

I stay on my old Apple TV

I am definitely staying on the old version. I will not upgrade. I would rather buy a new TV or a projector that is already smart. I do not want to overpay so much for different boxes from Apple anymore. Really, enough.

Soon I will have to work two months a year just to upgrade all the Apple devices they release, because they are really expensive now. iPhones, Apple Watch, computers, tablets. That is enough.

HomeView and Apple TV, both $299: neither

Neither one nor the other. In my opinion, this presentation was a flop from Apple, almost to laugh at. These are things people will turn on maybe once a week. With HomeView, in the beginning people will use it all the time in the first days, and then they understand they must always have their iPhone with them, and if they want other apps, they have to stream from the iPhone. For me, that is the flop of the year and an epic fail.

Four years of waiting for this?

Not just a disappointment. For me, it is a mega disappointment that I do not want to believe. But we have what we have.

My prediction: it will just stay as Apple TV, and I think they will lower the price later. In my opinion, it would have been better if they did not make this presentation today at all. It is just fame and PR, how they made all of us wait. I am very curious what comes at the end of the month.

Featured image: Apple

Apple TV 4K (2026): FAQ

How much is the new Apple TV 4K?

The fourth-generation Apple TV 4K costs $299 with 128GB and Ethernet. Pre-orders are open, and it ships November 13.

What is new in the Apple TV 4K 2026?

An A19 chip with up to 50% faster CPU and 2x faster GPU, Siri AI, three far-field microphones, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, AV1 support, four-HomePod surround sound, and a new Siri Remote with Find My.

Do older Apple TVs get Siri AI?

Yes. Siri AI is available as a beta on Apple TV 4K (2nd generation or later). Personal context requests need an Apple Intelligence iPhone or iPad.

Can I buy the new Siri Remote separately?

Yes, for $59. It works with Apple TV HD and all Apple TV 4K models. Precision Finding needs an iPhone 17 or newer, iPhone Air or iPhone Duo.

How much did the previous Apple TV 4K cost?

It launched in 2022 at $129 and $149. In June 2026, Apple raised those prices to $199 and $249.

Sources: Apple, 9to5Mac, MacRumors.

Our Take

The new Apple TV 4K is faster, smarter and has a better remote. But at $299, in my opinion, it is a box for people who must have the Apple logo.

A cheaper streaming stick or a smart TV does the same job. I stay on my old Apple TV.

Four years of waiting, and the biggest upgrade is the price. I am curious what Apple shows us at the end of the month.