Apple has introduced a new Apple TV 4K with three microphones for hands-free voice commands, an A19 chip and a full-screen Siri AI interface for finding entertainment. Preorders open today in the U.S. and 29 other countries and regions, with store availability scheduled for Friday, November 13. The U.S. price is $299, with a payment option of $49.83 a month over six months.
Siri AI arrives in beta form, covering not only the new model but also Apple TV 4K units from the second generation onward. Its launch availability covers eight countries, including the U.S., UK, India and Australia, in English. Apple says accessing personal context through Siri AI on the television requires an iPhone that supports Apple Intelligence.
Read more: Apple's iOS 26 update lets AirPods work as wireless video microphones.
Apple says Siri AI can handle conversational searches, display poster artwork from the Apple TV app and suggest further viewing choices. During playback, answers to follow-up questions appear in a small overlay, including information about filming locations or whether a show suits a viewer’s age. The microphones use echo cancellation to distinguish spoken commands from background audio while something is playing.
Apple puts the A19 chip’s CPU improvement at up to 50 percent over the previous generation, with GPU performance up to twice as fast. A dedicated AV1 decoder is intended to reduce bandwidth consumption during streaming, according to Apple. The new Siri Remote adds Precision Finding through Find My and can make a sound to help users locate it.
For surround sound, the new Apple TV 4K supports a setup using four HomePod mini 2 speakers. HomePod (2nd generation) speakers can also participate, provided each front or rear pair uses matching speakers. Apple says the system detects speaker positions and adjusts audio levels and timing to fit the room.
As a home hub, Apple TV 4K adds camera activity descriptions generated with Apple Intelligence and notification summaries for HomeKit Secure Video. A compatible doorbell lets viewers see and speak to visitors through the TV and operate accessories such as a door lock. Siri AI also supports spoken commands for accessories and scenes, while built-in Wi-Fi and Thread provide smart home connectivity.
Apple says Secure Exclaves isolate microphone processing, preventing tvOS, apps and Apple from accessing data handled there. Siri requests can run on the device or use Private Cloud Compute, where Apple says processed data is neither retained nor accessible to the company. The new Siri Remote will also be sold separately and works with Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K.
