Apple Finally Fixed the Most Annoying Thing About the Apple TV Remote, and You Don’t Even Need to Buy Its New $299 Box to Get It

Apple has unveiled its fourth-generation Apple TV 4K, bringing a faster A19 chip, hands-free Siri, and support for a four-HomePod surround sound system. But those upgrades come with a significantly higher price.

The new Apple TV 4K costs $299, more than double the $129 starting price of its predecessor when it launched in 2022.

Apple also eliminated the cheaper 64GB model, leaving only a 128GB configuration.

Also: That $299 Apple TV you were thinking of buying might be a waste of money if Siri is the only reason you wanted to upgrade

A faster chip and Siri that can hear you across the room

The A19 chip delivers up to 50% faster CPU performance and twice the graphics performance of the previous model’s A15 chip, according to Apple.

The new box also includes three far-field microphones, allowing you to activate Siri without touching the remote. Advanced echo cancellation helps Siri hear commands even when a movie or TV show is playing.

Siri AI brings conversational entertainment searches and follow-up questions, although requests involving personal information still require a compatible iPhone or iPad with Apple Intelligence enabled.

And that AI experience isn’t exclusive to the new hardware. Apple has confirmed that second- and third-generation Apple TV 4K models will receive Siri AI through tvOS 27.2, giving existing owners one less reason to upgrade.

Other hardware improvements include Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and support for AV1 and VP9 video codecs. Apple hasn’t confirmed the amount of RAM, although 8GB is expected, up from 4GB in the previous generation.

Also: There’s something infuriating about Apple’s new home theater setup when the HomePods you already paid for still work just fine

Four HomePods can now work together for surround sound

For the first time, Apple TV supports four HomePods simultaneously, with two speakers positioned in front of the viewing area and two behind it.

You can use four HomePod mini 2 speakers or combine a matching pair of full-sized HomePod 2 speakers with a matching pair of HomePod mini 2 units.

Apple uses computational audio to automatically adjust speaker timing and volume based on their placement.

The feature requires the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K and compatible current-generation HomePods.

Older Apple TV models remain limited to two HomePods, while original HomePods and first-generation HomePod minis cannot join the four-speaker setup.

Also: The best reason to buy Apple’s new $299 TV box is coming to older models for free, and that makes the upgrade harder to sell

The new Siri Remote is harder to lose

Apple has also addressed a familiar frustration with the Siri Remote: finding it when it disappears into the couch.

The fourth-generation remote includes a built-in speaker that can play a sound when you’re looking for it. Precision Finding adds directional guidance on a compatible iPhone, helping you track down its location.

However, there’s a compatibility restriction. Precision Finding requires an iPhone 17 or newer, excluding the iPhone 17e, or an iPhone Air or iPhone Duo.

The good news for existing Apple TV owners is that the new Siri Remote is sold separately for $59 and works with every Apple TV 4K model, as well as the Apple TV HD released in 2015.

The fourth-generation Apple TV 4K and Siri Remote are available for preorder now, with deliveries beginning November 13.