The New Apple TV 4K Is Out Today: What $299 Gets You (and What Older Models Get Free)

Quick summary: The fourth-generation Apple TV 4K is officially out today, November 13, alongside Apple HomeView. It’s a big upgrade on paper: an A19 chip, far-field microphones so you can talk to Siri without the remote, Siri AI, and a new four-HomePod surround sound setup. The catch is the price. It’s $299, and Apple says Siri AI is also coming to older Apple TV 4K models.

Key takeaways

• Price: $299 in the U.S., per Apple’s announcement. MacRumors says it comes with 128GB of storage.
• Where: The U.S. and 29 other countries and regions, with in-store availability starting today.
• Chip: A19, which Apple says is up to 50% faster CPU and up to 2x faster GPU than the last model, plus a dedicated AV1 decoder.
• Hands-free Siri: three built-in far-field mics.
• Siri AI (beta) works on Apple TV 4K 2nd generation or later, so you may not need new hardware to get it.
• Shipping: 9to5Mac says Apple’s online store is backordered to the first week of December, but most Apple Stores have some walk-in stock and Amazon shows delivery as early as this weekend.

What’s new

Siri AI on the big screen. Apple calls it a full-screen Siri experience that can answer follow-up questions while you watch, like where a show was filmed or whether it’s OK for a 15-year-old, in a small overlay. With an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone, it can also use personal context, like playing a show a friend recommended.

Talk without the remote. The three far-field microphones use echo cancellation to pick up “Hey Siri” or “Siri” even while audio is playing. Apple’s footnote says hands-free Siri depends on your tvOS language (English is supported).

Four-speaker surround with HomePod. This is the first time Apple TV supports a four-speaker surround setup. You need four HomePod mini 2 or HomePod (2nd generation) speakers in matching front and rear pairs, and Apple says they calibrate timing and levels to the room automatically. This feature needs the new 4th-generation Apple TV 4K.

A remote you can find. The new Siri Remote adds Find My with Precision Finding and can play a sound. Apple says Precision Finding works with the iPhone Duo, iPhone Air and iPhone 17 or later (not the 17e). The new remote is also sold separately and works with Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K.

Smarter home hub. With a compatible doorbell, you’ll see who’s at the door on your TV and can talk to them or unlock the door without leaving your show. HomeKit Secure Video camera recordings can now get Apple Intelligence descriptions, which Apple says requires an eligible iCloud+ plan.

The fine print

• Siri AI is a beta in tvOS 27.2, English-only at launch in the U.S., Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa and the UK.
• The home’s owner needs an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone or iPad with Siri AI turned on for Siri AI to work on Apple TV, per Apple’s footnotes.
• Apple says some server-side Apple Intelligence features have daily usage limits, and expanded access will cost extra in the future.

Should you upgrade?

Honestly, it depends on which Apple TV you have. If you’re on a 2nd- or 3rd-gen Apple TV 4K, Apple says you’ll get Siri AI anyway, so the new box is really about the hands-free mics, the faster chip, AV1 and the four-HomePod surround setup. The MacRumors comment section is full of people balking at $299, and I get it.

If you’re coming from an Apple TV HD, a streaming stick, or you’re building out a full Apple home theater, this is the one to get. And if you’re pairing it with a new TV, the LG 55” B6E OLED is on my Best Buy Black Friday list. Check the current price before you buy.

My take

The Apple TV 4K has always been the best streaming box, and the hands-free Siri plus HomePod surround setup make it feel like a real home theater hub now. But $299 is a lot for a box that a lot of people already own a perfectly good version of. If you’re setting up a HomeView today too, here’s my step-by-step HomeView setup guide.

Sources

• Apple Newsroom: Apple unveils the new Apple TV 4K, supercharged by Siri AI (Oct 13, 2026)
• MacRumors: Apple Launches Two Products Today (Nov 13, 2026)
• 9to5Mac: New Apple TV 4K and HomeView now available (Nov 13, 2026)