RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 5 sourcesGo to the 9to5Mac home page Switch site 9to5Toys 9to5Google Logo 9to5Google Electrek Drone DJ Logo DroneDJ Space Explored About Privacy Toggle social menu Toggle dark mode Search for: Submit Toggle search form Forums Store Podcasts Apple@Work Happy Hour 9to5Mac Daily Overtime iPhone iPhone Mac Mac MacBook Pro MacBook Air iMac Mac mini Mac Studio Mac Pro iPad iPad Pro iPad Air iPad mini iPad iPadOS Watch Apple Watch Apple Watch Ultra Apple Health Apple Watch SE Vision Vision Pro visionOS Music and TV Apple Music AirPods HomePod Apple TV Guides Reviews How Tos AAPL Apple Store Apple Arcade Apple Card Apple Silicon Apple One Apple Fitness+ CarPlay Siri HomeKit Toggle dark mode Apple TV Apple TV 4K New Apple TV 4K: Everything we know about Apple’s 2026 upgrade Zac Hall | Aug 13 2026 - 7:30 am PT 18 Comments Apple TV 4K is finally expected to get its first hardware refresh in nearly four years. If the latest reports are right, Apple’s next streaming box could arrive this fall with a much faster chip, possibly the new Siri, upgraded wireless connectivity, and more.
Here is everything we currently know about the next Apple TV 4K.
Apple has not announced a release date for its next Apple TV 4K. The latest reporting points to a launch this fall, however, making September or October the most likely window.
Bloomberg reported in late July that a new Apple TV and HomePod mini are “nearly ready to launch” as part of Apple’s broader smart home push. That follows an earlier report saying both products were in advanced testing and likely to ship this year.
The current third-generation Apple TV 4K debuted in October 2022. It uses the A15 Bionic chip and comes in 64GB Wi-Fi and 128GB Wi-Fi plus Ethernet configurations.
Apple originally appeared to be preparing the replacement sooner. Its prolonged absence has increasingly looked connected to the delayed rollout of the company’s more personalized Siri.
The clearest expected hardware upgrade is a move from the A15 Bionic to the A17 Pro.
References found in Apple software code previously linked an unreleased Apple TV to the A17 Pro, the same chip Apple introduced with iPhone 15 Pro. Beyond making tvOS faster, that change is significant because A17 Pro is the oldest iPhone-class chip capable of supporting Apple Intelligence.
Bloomberg says the next Apple TV will support Apple’s new Siri. Apple could also bring other Apple Intelligence features to the television, but it has not announced any specific tvOS capabilities yet.
A17 Pro would additionally bring a much stronger GPU with hardware-accelerated ray tracing. That could give Apple more room to expand Apple Arcade and bring more demanding games to the living room.
The new Apple TV 4K is also expected to use Apple’s N1 wireless networking chip.
N1 could bring support for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread. The current model is limited to Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0, while Thread connectivity is reserved for the more expensive Ethernet configuration.
Wi-Fi 7 alone won’t transform ordinary video streaming, which requires far less bandwidth than the standard provides. The combination of faster wireless performance, lower-latency Bluetooth, and Thread could nevertheless make Apple TV a more capable hub for games and smart home accessories.
Apple is also reportedly considering a refreshed Siri Remote. Details remain limited, and Bloomberg has cautioned against expecting major changes to the Apple TV itself.
One possibility is improved Find My support.
The current remote can be located using a nearby iPhone, but it lacks the Ultra Wideband hardware used for Precision Finding in AirTag. Apple has not confirmed that it plans to add the feature.
Price is now one of the biggest unanswered questions.
Liked by 14 people The release of the new Apple TV has been imminent…..for over a year!!! This post sounds exactly like the one from a year ago.
Apple recently increased the price of the existing Apple TV 4K from $129 to $199 for the 64GB model. The 128GB model with Ethernet jumped from $149 to $249. Those increases make it harder to imagine the new generation returning to the old starting price, especially after Apple cited higher memory and storage costs for its broader hardware increases .
The current model is considerably less expensive through Apple’s refurbished store . At publication time, Apple listed the refurbished 64GB model for $169 and the 128GB Ethernet model for $209 . Both include Apple’s one-year limited warranty, but inventory can change quickly.
Unless you need a new streaming box immediately, waiting makes sense. The current model remains fast and capable, but its higher retail price is difficult to recommend with a long-awaited replacement reportedly only weeks away.
Would an A17 Pro chip, Siri AI, and better connectivity persuade you to upgrade your Apple TV 4K? Let us know in the comments.
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Zac Hall is a Senior Editor, covering Apple, apps, and AI. He joined 9to5Mac in 2013.
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