The fourth-generation Apple TV 4K is here, complete with Siri AI enhancements and Find My on the Siri Remote. Here's how much difference four years makes over the previous model.
Before the October 13 update, Apple's last change to the Apple TV 4K took place in October 2022. Back then, the big news was a storage upgrade.
Four years later, and the fourth-generation model is a spec-bump update that does more than just storage. It's part of a big smart home push by Apple, with changes ranging from improvements to how you use Siri to how it handles surround sound audio.
We don't usually expect many changes in the Apple TV 4K, with it usually falling victim to the spec-bump update cycle. With such a long gap between updates, it was certain that Apple would make some worthwhile changes beyond a chip update.
Thankfully, that happened.
What follows is a comparison between the new fourth-generation Apple TV 4K and the previous third-generation Apple TV 4K.
Apple TV 4K Gen 4 vs Apple TV 4K Gen 3: Specifications
| Specifications | Apple TV 4K (Gen 4, 2026) | Apple TV 4K (Gen 3, 2022) |
|---|---|---|
| Price (starting) | $299.00 | $129.00 (release) |
| Dimensions (inches) | 3.67 x 3.67 x 1.2 | 3.66 x 3.66 x 1.2 |
| Weight (ounces) | 7.6 | 7.3 |
| Processor | A19 | A15 Bionic |
| Storage | 128GB | 64GB 128GB |
| Connectivity | HDMI 2.1 WiFi 7 with MIMO Bluetooth 6 Thread IR Receiver Ethernet | HDMI 2.1 WiFi 6 with 2x2 MIMO Bluetooth 5.0 Thread IR Receiver Ethernet (one model) |
| Video | SDR HDR10+ Dolby Vision | SDR HDR10+ Dolby Vision |
| Audio | AAC, MP3, Apple Lossless, FLAC, AIFF, WAV; Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital Plus 7.1, Dolby Atmos | AAC, MP3, Apple Lossless, FLAC, AIFF, WAV; Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital Plus 7.1, Dolby Atmos |
| Siri Remote | Bluetooth 6.0 IR transmitter USB-C Find My with Precision Finding | Bluetooth 5.0 IR transmitter USB-C |
| Ports | HDMI Gigabit Ethernet | HDMI Gigabit Ethernet |
| AirPlay | Yes | Yes |
Apple TV 4K Gen 4 vs Apple TV 4K Gen 3: Design, Weight, Size
The 2022 Apple TV 4K was a rounded square, resembling a rectangular hockey puck near your TV. As usual for Apple's spec-bump updates, the appearance hasn't changed at all.
That includes the dimensions. The old model was 3.66 inches square and 1.2 inches tall. The new one is effectively identical.
Apple TV 4K Gen 4 vs Apple TV 4K Gen 3: The design hasn't really changed externally.
There is a bit more weight to the new model, however, at 7.6 ounces, it's a 0.3-ounce weight gain over the 7.3-ounce predecessor.
That said, for a device destined to sit in the living room and not move, that's not significant.
Apple TV 4K Gen 4 vs Apple TV 4K Gen 3: Processor and Performance
A staple of the spec-bump update is a change of chip, and there's certainly one here. The old model used an A15 Bionic chip, first introduced in the iPhone 13 line.
The new edition switches it up to the A19, last launched in the iPhone 17. Apple claims that the chip, complete with Secure Enclave, is approximately 50% better in CPU performance and up to twice as fast in GPU performance over the A15 Bionic.
If we look at the comparative smartphones in Geekbench, we can see this difference a bit clearer.
Apple TV 4K Gen 4 vs Apple TV 4K Gen 3: The new model will be better for gaming.
The single-core results for the iPhone 13's A15 Bionic put it at 1,955, versus 2,998 for the iPhone 17's A19. Likewise, the 4,965 multi-core score of the A15 Bionic is far behind the 8,287 of the A19.
The Metal benchmark, used for GPU performance, is also quite different. At 35,327, the iPhone 17's Metal score is more than double that of the 14,574 seen in the iPhone 13.
While these are iPhone results for the relative chips, it does demonstrate that the Apple TV 4K counterparts have a similar performance disparity. Gaming will inevitably be better on the newer model.
Apple TV 4K Gen 4 vs Apple TV 4K Gen 3: Siri
The real benefit of the A19 chip isn't really performance, but Siri AI support. Apple's big push forward on AI has happened everywhere else in the ecosystem, with home devices lagging behind until now.
Sure, old Siri on the third-gen Apple TV answered queries, but never really did so that well. That's not a problem anymore.
The new Apple TV 4K now takes advantage of Siri AI and Apple Intelligence, which means it has all of the bells and whistles of the iPhone version. That includes things like a wider knowledge graph of the world and contextual awareness.
Not only can you ask things like which Apple TV shows won awards recently, but you'll see their posters and can ask follow-up queries too. There are also Amazon X-ray-style queries available too, such as "Where was this show filmed?"
Apple TV 4K Gen 4 vs Apple TV 4K Gen 3: Siri AI in action
And then there's personal context, which means it can take advantage of data points it knows about you and your data from other Apple devices that Siri AI has analyzed. There stands a good chance that you'll get a decent answer to questions like "What was that show Aunt Mildred talked about last week?" and then end up watching the result.
Connected to this is a bit of a hardware change for the Apple TV. While previously you had to talk through the remote control, that's entirely optional now.
A trio of far-field microphones with echo cancellation are now listening to the room, just like a HomePod or HomePod mini. You can now utter "Hey Siri" without gripping the control to start a query through your Apple TV.
To be frank, this could be great for people who don't already own a HomePod. It's a similar feature, but driven through your television.
Apple TV 4K Gen 4 vs Apple TV 4K Gen 3: Playing Content
When it comes to viewing content through the Apple TV 4K, there's not really much difference from the previous version, at least visually.
There's support for 4K 60FPS HDR10+ content on both models, as well as Dolby Vision and HLG support. HDMI Quick Media Switching (QMS) is still there, using the HDMI 2.1 port.
This time around, Apple does include a dedicated AV1 decoder, built into the A19, which will help with viewing some content online.
The list of supported audio formats is also unchanged, with both capable of handling AAC, MP3, Apple Lossless, FLAC, AIFF, WAV, Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital Plys 7.1 Surround Sound, and Dolby Atmos.
Photo support is also there, with HEIF, JPEG, GIF, and TIFF usable on both generations.
Apple TV 4K Gen 4 vs Apple TV 4K Gen 3: Siri AI in action
The big viewing party trick for 2026 is the new Surround Sound feature when used with four HomePod speakers. Placed around the corners of the room, the HomePod and HomePod mini pairs can work together, automatically calibrating the audio for a cinematic experience.
This only works with the second-generation HomePod and the new HomePod mini 2.
Yes, you could output audio to a pair of HomePods using AirPlay before, but certainly not in an automatically configured surround setup like this.
Apple TV 4K Gen 4 vs Apple TV 4K Gen 3: Storage and Connectivity
The third-gen Apple TV 4K was sold in two configurations. One was a Wi-Fi-only model with 64GB of storage, while the other added in gigabit Ethernet and bumped storage to 128GB.
For the fourth-gen model, Apple's decided to stick with the Ethernet-enabled variant and its 128GB capacity. You can't get a Wi-Fi-only model anymore.
Connectivity has improved a bit over the years, though you're still going to be plugging into an HDMI 2.1 port.
Wi-Fi has grown from Wi-Fi 6 to Wi-Fi 7, with Ethernet still gigabit, though there's no real need to go higher right now.
Bluetooth is also up, going from 5.0 in the Gen 3 to Bluetooth 6 in Gen 4. An IR receiver and Thread support persist through both models.
Apple TV 4K Gen 4 vs Apple TV 4K Gen 3: Siri Remote
The Siri Remote in the third-gen model was pretty good, with the updated design being a little bigger than its predecessor. It also had a silver aluminum finish, and finally shifted from Lightning in favor of USB-C for charging.
There are still some subtle changes in the new Siri Remote for the fourth-gen Apple TV 4K, despite it looking pretty identical to the previous model.
First, while there's still an IR transmitter and USB-C, the Bluetooth connectivity has been upgraded. It's gone from 5.0 to 6, like the main box.
Apple TV 4K Gen 4 vs Apple TV 4K Gen 3: Find My will help you find the new Siri Remote.
The other is that it now has Find My support with Precision Finding and an added speaker. No longer will TV viewers be frustrated by losing the remote, as they can now know which direction in the room they need to look by checking their iPhone and listening for the chirp.
Apple TV 4K Gen 4 vs Apple TV 4K Gen 3: Pricing
The third-gen Apple TV 4K launched back in 2022 with two prices. The Wi-Fi-only 64GB model cost just $129 at launch, with the 128GB Ethernet model at $149.
However, in June, the prices were bumped up to $199 and $249, respectively, thanks to the ongoing memory crisis.
The new fourth-generation Apple TV 4K is being sold in one single configuration, priced at $299.
Apple TV 4K Gen 4 vs Apple TV 4K Gen 3: Welcome change, unwelcome price
The new Apple TV 4K is in a weird position. There's a lot of good to it, but also one pretty painful element.
As a spec-bump update after a four-year wait, it has what we expect. Better performance, a lot of Siri improvements, and neat tricks like the HomePod surround sound feature.
The big thing about it is Siri AI, or more those external microphones that weren't on the previous model. With the new version, it's almost justifiable not to acquire a HomePod or HomePod mini to go with it if you want the better Siri functionality alone.
Of course, there's the potential to shell out nigh $600 for four HomePod mini 2 units to get the surround sound going.
The only real problem is the price, which is unquestionably an issue.
Apple TV 4K Gen 4 vs Apple TV 4K Gen 3: The new model is better, but also fairly expensive.
The tech industry as a whole suffers from the same problem. The tougher-to-stomach part is that it's $50 more than the previous model's equivalent, which itself was $100 more than its initial launch cost.
It's hard not to feel for those who bought the third-gen model in the last few months of sale, who may be kicking themselves. If they had waited and spent $50 more, they'd have a newer and more future-proofed set-top box.
As it stands, it's very hard to justify telling anyone to upgrade their Apple TV 4K from the third generation to the fourth. It's even hard to say that about the second-generation users, too.
If the price were closer to $200, it'd be easier to talk about that.
Where to buy the Apple TV 4K 4th Gen and Apple TV 4K 3rd Gen
The Apple TV 4K 4th Generation retails for $299, with Apple Premier Partner Expercom expected to carry the new set-top box. Easily compare availability and offers in our Apple TV 4K Price Guide.
Adorama has limited Apple TV 4K 3rd Generation inventory available, while eBay has a variety of pre-owned options for sale.
