New Apple TV 4K brings two long-awaited upgrades —and a big price hike jacob.krol@futurenet.com (Jacob Krol) | usagoldmines.com

• The new Apple TV 4K is official and starts at $299 / £299 / AU$449
• It has microphones built-in for hands-free Siri control and supports HomePod surrounds
• The updated Siri Remote can chirp to help you find it, supports Precision Finding, and works with older Apple TV models

I fondly remember when Apple brought the price down on the Apple TV 4K box, and then I also remember the unfortunate price hikes from earlier in 2026. That pushed the Apple TV 4K without Ethernet to $199 / £199 / AU$299 and the one with Ethernet to $249 / £249 / AU$399.

Now, alongside the HomeView and the second-generation HomePod mini, Apple is ushering in the new Apple TV 4K and sunsetting the previous models. It keeps a similar shape — it’s still a black square with curved edges and a logo up top — but there are some new tricks here.

It also carries a new price point: the Apple TV 4K (2026) comes in one version and costs $299 / £299 / AU$449. That’s a big jump, especially when compared with competing Roku players and Fire TV Sticks. It’s actually the same price as the new Apple HomeView, which includes a screen and speakers. Still, it’s up for preorder now — beginning October 13, 2026 — and ships on November 13, 2026.

I’ve spent a bit of time with the refreshed Apple TV 4K, seeing it work through some Siri AI tasks and hearing its new audio capabilities, which include the ability to work with up to four HomePod speakers in a surround setup.

That could mean two second-generation HomePods up front and two HomePod mini second-generation as rear speakers, four full-sized HomePod 2 units, or four HomePod mini 2 units.

By far the most meaningful upgrade, and the one that shows Apple’s listening to customers, is the new Siri Remote. Now in its fourth generation, it can finally chirp and emit a sound when you can’t find it. So you can ask, “Hey Siri, where’s my remote?” to no one in particular (the Apple TV 4K box’s microphones will hear you) and the remote will emit a sound.

It’s pretty loud, though Apple isn’t sharing the exact decibel level, and it should be very audible even if the remote is stuck deep between couch cushions, in a pile on the floor, or somewhere else entirely.

If you also have an iPhone 17 or newer, iPhone Air, or iPhone Duo, you can open Find My, tap Devices, and then use Precision Finding to help you locate the remote. These are both super-helpful features, and you don’t need the new Apple TV 4K to take advantage of them, as this remote is backwards compatible with the Apple TV HD and previous Apple TV 4K models. I’m still waiting for price confirmation, but for reference, the current Siri Remote is $59 / £59 / AU$89.

As someone who’s bought into the sound quality of the HomePods since the first generation, which sadly isn’t supported here, this is a welcome upgrade. But you do need a lot of new hardware.

Theoretically, that’s $895 / £895 / AU$1,365 for an Apple TV 4K and four HomePod mini 2 units, or $1,695 / £1,695 / AU$2,645 for four second-generation HomePods and the Apple TV 4K, or $1,295 / £1,295 / AU$2,005 for two HomePod mini 2s, two second-generation HomePods, and an Apple TV 4K.

I heard a brief snippet of Widow’s Bay, which streams on Apple TV, with the latter setup: two full-sized HomePods next to a TV and two HomePod mini 2s a bit farther back behind a couch. It sounded really good, and compared with just two HomePods, the full setup offered a much wider experience that excelled at showing off both the low and high ends, from a quieter scene that ramped into a more vibrant one. This combo packs a punch.

There’s no doubt that $299 / £299 / AU$449 for a streaming box, even with that audio capability, is a lot. But the Apple TV 4K does pack in a few other bells and whistles. Under the hood, it should be speedier, with quicker app launches and more runway into the future thanks to the A19 processor.

The new Apple TV 4K also supports Siri AI at launch in Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, the UK, the US, Singapore, and South Africa.

This lets you ask questions with personal context, like, “Hey Siri, what was the episode of Star Wars Rebels I was talking about with Max?” or “What was that show that Benjie recommended a few months back in the group chat?”

Leaning on personal context from a connected iPhone, it can deliver those results, and it worked quickly in a demo, pulling up an episode of Ted Lasso in short order.

That about wraps up the new Apple TV 4K — it replaces the previous-generation models, though if those get discounted, they’re definitely worth a look. It’s available to order now ahead of its November 13, 2026 launch.

It’s a sizable price increase, and I wish Apple still offered the previous generation as a more affordable option, something like an entry-level iPad equivalent or an “e” option, similar to the iPhone 17e.

It’s clear that this is a higher-end, premium streaming box, but we’ll need to spend some time with it to see how it compares and whether the $299 / £299 / AU$449 price point is worth it. Let me know what you think in the comments below, particularly your thoughts on that higher price and feature set.