Apple's first new Apple TV 4K in four years packs the A19 chip, better wireless connectivity and built-in microphones. Preorders are open now at $299.
A Four-Year Wait Ends at Apple's 'Welcome Home' Event
Apple used its 'Welcome Home' event to unveil the latest Apple TV 4K, marking the company's first refresh of the streaming box in four years. The device goes on sale starting Friday, November 13th, and preorders are open now. According to Cameron Faulkner, Editor, Commerce, the new model “packs significantly more power, better wireless connectivity, plus built-in microphones.”
The headline specification is the A19 chip. The model it replaces, the now-discontinued 2022 Apple TV 4K, runs on the A15 Bionic. That is a generational jump spanning several silicon revisions, and it is the sort of upgrade that tends to matter less on launch day than it does three or four years down the line, when streaming apps grow heavier and interface animations start to stutter on older hardware.
Pricing, Preorders, and the Refurbished Alternative
The new Apple TV 4K is not cheap. At $299, it costs twice what the 2022 Apple TV 4K originally launched at, before that model climbed to $249 a few months ago. Preorders can currently be placed only at Apple, though other retailers are likely to follow suit.
For buyers who decide the upgrade does not justify the price, Apple sells the third-gen Apple TV 4K from 2022 refurbished for $209. That is a reasonable value proposition, since the older model carries many of the same capabilities:
- Thread connectivity for smart home mesh networking
- Ethernet for a wired network connection
- 128GB of storage
- HDMI 2.1
The counterargument is longevity. The A19 in the new model should keep it feeling snappy for longer than the 2022 hardware, which is the practical difference that a spec sheet does not capture. Even so, Faulkner offers a candid note on the outgoing generation:
I recently purchased the 2022 Apple TV 4K, and it's surprisingly speedy.
Software Features: Siri AI and Find My
Software is a substantial part of this rollout. Siri AI is a centerpiece of the launch, though it will operate in beta on second-gen Apple TV 4K models and newer. That caveat is important for anyone with older hardware, since beta availability is not the same as general release.
The new Find My tracking feature works with the second-gen Siri Remote and newer. Being able to locate the remote from a phone is a small quality-of-life addition, but it is the kind of feature that solves a genuinely common annoyance in living rooms where the remote routinely disappears between couch cushions.
The Broader Streaming Hardware Picture
Set-top boxes occupy an unusual position in the consumer electronics market. They are cheap relative to phones and laptops, which lowers the psychological barrier to upgrading, but they are also invisible infrastructure: once plugged in behind a television, they are expected to keep working for years without attention. That dynamic explains both sides of the argument around the new Apple TV 4K at $299.
Buyers who treat the box as a long-term platform investment will gravitate toward the A19 and its extended headroom. Buyers who treat it as a competent 4K streaming endpoint will find the $209 refurbished 2022 model hard to argue with, given its Thread radio, ethernet port, 128GB of storage and HDMI 2.1 support.
The Bottom Line
The new Apple TV 4K delivers the most significant internal upgrade the lineup has seen in years, paired with a price that reflects it. Preorders are live at Apple ahead of the Friday, November 13th release, with broader retail availability expected to follow. For anyone still weighing the decision, the refurbished 2022 model remains a legitimate option rather than a consolation prize.