The new Apple TV 4K costs $299 in the US and arrives in stores on November 13, according to Apple’s October 13 announcement. The model it replaces launched in October 2022 at a starting price of $129, per Apple’s own 2022 release. Apple then raised that model to $199, or $249 with Ethernet, in June as memory costs climbed, as we reported at the time. So the new box costs $100 more than the one it replaces sold for last, and $170 more than that model cost at launch.
If you own the 2022 model, the question is simple. What does the extra money buy you? We took every number below from Apple’s newsroom and its current spec page, plus the tech specs Apple keeps for the third-generation model.
Apple’s store now sells only the $299 Apple TV 4K, not the 2022 model
Apple’s US Apple TV 4K store page lists one product, the new Apple TV 4K at $299 on pre-order. The 2022 model is gone from it. So you can’t buy the older box new from Apple anymore. You either own one already or shop elsewhere.
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The lineup also got simpler. In 2022 Apple sold a 64GB Wi-Fi model and a 128GB Wi-Fi + Ethernet model. The new one comes in a single 128GB version.
New Apple TV 4K vs the 2022 model, spec by spec from Apple’s pages
| Spec | Apple TV 4K (4th generation, 2026) | Apple TV 4K (3rd generation, 2022) |
|---|---|---|
| US price | $299 | $129 at launch, $199 after the June 2026 increase, no longer on Apple’s store |
| Chip | A19 | A15 Bionic |
| Storage | 128GB | 64GB (Wi-Fi) or 128GB (Wi-Fi + Ethernet) |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), 2×2 MIMO | Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), 2×2 MIMO |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 6 | Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Thread and Ethernet | Both, standard | Wi-Fi + Ethernet model only |
| Microphones in the box | Three-mic array with voice isolation | None listed |
| HDMI | HDMI 2.1 | HDMI 2.1 |
| Four-speaker surround | Yes, with HomePod mini 2 or HomePod (2nd generation) | No |
| Siri AI (beta) | Yes | Yes, on 2nd generation and later |
| Weight | 217 g | 208 g (Wi-Fi), 214 g (Wi-Fi + Ethernet) |
| HDMI cable | Sold separately | Sold separately |
The A19 chip, far-field mics and Wi-Fi 7 are where most of the extra $100 goes
Apple says the A19 delivers up to 50 percent faster CPU performance and up to 2x faster GPU performance than the previous generation. It also adds a new, dedicated AV1 decoder for more efficient streaming. You’ll feel the GPU gain most in games, not in everyday streaming.
The bigger day-to-day change is the microphones. The new box has three far-field mics with echo cancellation, so you can say “Siri” across the room while a show plays. The 2022 spec page lists no microphones on the box itself. You talk to Siri by holding the button on the remote.
Here’s the part that should slow you down. Siri AI itself is not exclusive to the new model. Apple says the beta runs on Apple TV 4K (2nd generation) and later, in English in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, India, New Zealand, Singapore and South Africa. Your 2022 box gets the smarter Siri, just not the hands-free mics.
Networking moves from Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 to Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. Thread and Gigabit Ethernet now come standard. If you bought the 64GB Wi-Fi model in 2022, that means your Apple TV finally becomes a Thread border router for Matter and HomeKit accessories. If you bought the 128GB Ethernet model, you already have both.
Four-speaker surround needs the new box, and the HDMI cable is still extra
Apple’s newsroom says the four-speaker layout, two speakers in front and two in the rear in matching pairs, works with Apple TV 4K (4th generation) and HomePod mini 2 or HomePod (2nd generation). That feature needs the new box, so if you planned a HomePod surround setup, budget for the $299 Apple TV on top of the speakers. Our Apple TV 4K features by model guide shows which other tvOS features stop at older hardware.
The box contents haven’t changed much. Both models ship with the Siri Remote, a power cord and documentation, and both spec pages say the HDMI cable is sold separately. The new Siri Remote (4th generation) adds Find My with Precision Finding, which works with iPhone 17 or later (not iPhone 17e), iPhone Air and iPhone Duo. Apple also sells that remote on its own and says it works with older Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD models. Our Apple TV 4K setup guide covers which HDMI cable to pick.
Buy the new Apple TV 4K if you want hands-free Siri, surround or Thread
- Buy the $299 model if you want to talk to Siri without picking up the remote, plan a four-speaker HomePod setup, or own the 64GB Wi-Fi model and need a Thread hub for Matter gear.
- Keep your 2022 Apple TV 4K if you mostly stream, your TV is wired over HDMI 2.1 already and you’re happy pressing the Siri button. Siri AI still reaches you through the tvOS update.
- Keep it if you own the 128GB Wi-Fi + Ethernet model. Thread and Ethernet are already in your box, which leaves the mics, the A19 and Wi-Fi 7 as the only upgrades for $299.
For most 2022 owners the honest answer is to wait, unless one of those features solves a real problem in your living room. If a remote that keeps vanishing into the couch is your only gripe, look at the new Siri Remote on its own before you spend $299 on a whole new box.
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