Apple TV 4K gets Siri AI and A19 chip, but price more than doubles to $299

Apple on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, announced a new Apple TV 4K, the fourth generation of its streaming box, built around a new version of its voice assistant that the company calls Siri AI. The device runs on Apple's A19 chip and has built-in far-field microphones, so users can talk to Siri without picking up the remote. It costs $299 in the United States, more than double the $129 at which Apple launched the previous model in 2022, and Rs 39,900 in India. Pre-orders opened the same day in the US, India and other markets, and the device goes on sale on Friday, 13 November 2026.

Apple's streaming box has always been priced at the premium end, and the new model goes further. More than doubling the price is a clear bet that buyers will pay for an assistant that can hold a conversation, not just play a show. It also shows how the AI race among the big technology companies is moving from phones and laptops into the living room.

The headline feature is the new Siri. Instead of simple commands, Apple says the assistant can understand questions about what is playing and help viewers discover what to watch next, and the microphones mean it can listen across a room. The box is Apple's attempt to make the voice, not the remote, the main way people control their television. One report notes that Siri AI will at first work only in a limited number of English-speaking countries, so buyers elsewhere may not get the full set of features at launch.

The price is the sticking point. At $299 in the US and Rs 39,900 in India, the new box asks buyers for a much larger outlay than before. Apple has already raised prices on several product lines this year, and reviewers in India have questioned whether owners of the older model need to upgrade. The device looks set to appeal mainly to people already using Apple's phones, tablets and services.

Short-term: Pre-orders will show whether Apple's existing customers accept the higher price for Siri AI. Reviews of the device after it ships on 13 November will test Apple's speed and AI claims.

Long-term: If buyers pay up, Apple and its rivals are likely to keep pushing AI assistants as the main reason to buy new TV hardware. If sales are weak, the higher price could push more viewers toward cheaper sticks or smart TVs, keeping Apple TV a niche product.

Who is affected: Apple users who stream on their televisions, Indian buyers weighing a Rs 39,900 device against cheaper options, streaming apps that run on the platform, and rival makers of streaming devices and smart TV software.

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