The New $299 Apple TV 4K Has a Trick I’ve Wanted for Years, but I’m Still Struggling to Justify Paying $170 More for the Upgrade

Apple has unveiled its fourth-generation Apple TV 4K with a new A19 chip, hands-free Siri AI, and a remote that’s easier to find.

But there’s one change that could make longtime Apple TV owners think twice about upgrading: the price has jumped to $299.

That’s $170 more than the previous model’s original $129 starting price, an increase of roughly 132%. Apple had already raised the older model’s price to $199 before introducing its latest streaming box.

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What you get for $299

The new Apple TV 4K runs on Apple’s A19 chip, delivering up to 50% faster CPU performance and twice the graphics performance of its predecessor.

Siri AI is another major addition, allowing users to search for movies using natural language, ask follow-up questions about what they’re watching, and receive personalized recommendations.

Three far-field microphones built into the streaming box mean you can now talk to Siri without picking up the remote.

You can ask it to find a show, pause playback, or control compatible smart home devices from across the room.

Apple has also improved the Siri Remote with Precision Finding and a built-in speaker that can play a sound when the remote goes missing.

The new model includes 128GB of storage, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, Gigabit Ethernet, and HDMI 2.1.

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Is the higher price justified?

At $299, Apple TV 4K is entering a different price category from the affordable streaming devices many people use to watch Netflix, YouTube, and other services.

Apple is offering more than faster streaming performance. The new box supports a four-speaker surround sound setup using compatible HomePods and can display AI-generated descriptions of activity captured by HomeKit security cameras.

But Siri AI alone may not be enough to convince existing owners to upgrade. Apple is also bringing the assistant to second-generation Apple TV 4K models and newer, meaning some of the headline software improvements won’t require buying the new hardware.

The fourth-generation Apple TV 4K is available to pre-order from Apple now, with availability beginning November 13.