Apple is expected to unveil a new Apple TV 4K at its September 9 event, and leaked code and industry reporting point to four meaningful upgrades coming to the long-overdue streaming box.
The current Apple TV 4K has been on sale since late 2022 and runs on an A15 Bionic chip that Apple first introduced in 2021. The new model is widely expected to arrive with a significantly newer processor.
Siri AI could be one reason Apple goes with a particularly powerful chip this time. With the new assistant expected to play a bigger role in the Apple TV experience, Apple may want enough processing headroom to support AI features without leaning too heavily on the cloud.
Siri AI comes to the living room
Siri AI has been the main reason the new Apple TV was delayed from its originally expected fall 2025 launch.
Apple has not officially confirmed the assistant is coming to tvOS, but evidence embedded in iOS 27 code suggests the new Apple TV 4K and HomePod will both support it, likely exclusive to new hardware rather than older devices.
Along with the redesigned assistant, Apple is expected to introduce an improved search experience as part of a broader Apple Intelligence push on the platform.
Wireless upgrades and a new remote
The new model is also rumored to include Apple’s N1 wireless chip, which debuted in the iPhone 17 lineup. Adding N1 would bring Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 support to the Apple TV for the first time, as well as compatibility with Thread networking.
The current hardware tops out at Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5, a gap that has become more noticeable as the rest of Apple’s product line has advanced.
A refreshed Siri Remote is also in the works, according to code found in a macOS 26.7 build. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman had previously described the remote update as a “tweak” rather than a redesign, so dramatic changes seem unlikely.
One practical improvement that would address a common complaint is adding a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip for Precision Finding, allowing users to locate a misplaced remote the same way they would an AirTag.
What to expect on September 9
Apple officially announced the September 9 event, which is expected to center on the iPhone 18 Pro and a foldable iPhone.
The new Apple TV 4K, along with other home products, is widely expected to be part of that same announcement. If confirmed, it would end one of the longer gaps between Apple TV hardware generations in recent memory.
