The fourth-generation Apple TV 4K with the A19 chip and Siri AI support is available starting November 13, and we got to spend some time with it ahead of launch.
Siri’s artificial intelligence is the main feature, and while it’s not perfect, it works better than the previous version of Siri. Siri was able to display numerous movie and TV show recommendations and answer questions about the content.
Apple says Siri’s AI is in beta and there’s still a lot of work to do. Siri’s AI wasn’t good at answering follow-up questions and only did so part of the time.
There are far-field microphones in the set-top box, so you can simply say “Hey Siri” to activate Siri without having to use the remote. Apple TV can recognize up to six people, so you can get personalized recommendations and context when you talk to Siri.
The person setting up Apple TV must have an iPhone or iPad that supports Siri AI for Siri AI to work on Apple TV, and personal context also requires that each user have their own Siri AI-enabled device. The second and third generation Apple TV 4K models will receive Siri artificial intelligence with the upcoming tvOS 27.2.1 update.
Apple hasn’t changed the design of the Apple TV 4K or updated the look of the Siri Remote, but the remote has new features. It has a built-in speaker so it can play a sound when lost, and the Precision Finding feature is available if you have an iPhone Air, iPhone Duo, or iPhone 17 and later (excluding iPhone 17e).
The tvOS interface seems faster with the A19 chip and should be better for gaming if you play Apple Arcade titles on your TV. You can also pair four HomePod speakers with your Apple TV for surround sound, a feature unique to the latest model.
Unfortunately, Apple charges $299 for the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K. It costs twice as much as the previous-generation version last year around the same time, and that’s a steep increase. It’s probably not worth upgrading if you already have a second- or third-generation Apple TV 4K, but if you have something older, it might be worth paying to get the new features.
