Apple TV 4K (2026) vs 2022: Is $299 Worth It?

Header image: Apple TV 4K (4th generation) with the new Siri Remote. Image: Apple.

Disclosure: some links below are Amazon affiliate links (tag cao04-20). Costs you nothing; the picks are the same either way. The Apple links are plain links.

Note: Apple announced the new Apple TV 4K on October 13, 2026. Preorders are open now and Apple says it is available November 13. Prices were checked on Amazon and apple.com on October 15, 2026. No independent reviews of the new box exist yet; everything below is based on Apple’s published specs and early reporting.

Apple TV 4K 2026 vs 2022 is a stranger comparison than it looks. The new Apple TV 4K (4th generation) is a real upgrade: an A19 chip, Wi-Fi 7, three built-in microphones, a dedicated AV1 decoder and a remote you can find with your iPhone. It is also $299, in one configuration, which makes it the most expensive Apple TV 4K starting price yet.

The 2022 model it replaces launched at $129. Then Apple raised the old box to $199 and $249 in June, and on October 13 it put the new one at $299. So the question for anyone with a 2022 box is not “is the new one better?” It is. The question is whether the parts that are better matter to you, or whether a $59 remote and a free software update get you most of the way there.

Here’s how to decide, at home or for a shop TV.

Apple TV 4K 2026 vs 2022: the short answer

• You don’t own an Apple TV and want one: buy the Apple TV 4K (4th generation) at $299. The old box isn’t a bargain anymore, and the new one is the one Apple will support longest.
• You own a 2022 Apple TV 4K and it works: keep it. Siri AI is coming to it in beta, and the new Siri Remote ($59) works with it.
• You watch a lot of YouTube or want hands-free Siri from the couch: those are the two best reasons to upgrade. The new box adds an AV1 decoder and far-field microphones; the 2022 box has neither.
• You own a first-generation Apple TV 4K or an Apple TV HD: upgrading makes more sense for you than for 2022 owners, because Siri AI is not coming to those boxes.
• A small shop TV that plays the same playlist all day: keep what you have unless it’s an Apple TV HD or first-gen 4K. Nothing in the new box makes a lobby loop look better.

What changed: A19 vs A15 and the rest of the spec sheet

The headline is the chip. Apple says the A19 delivers up to 50 percent faster CPU performance and up to 2x faster GPU performance than the previous generation (Apple). Engadget reports it comes with double the RAM of the A15 model, and puts the jump in terms an iPhone owner will understand: “In iPhone terms, it’s like jumping from an iPhone 13 to an iPhone 17” (Engadget).

In 2022, Apple made the same kind of claim for the A15 Bionic: up to 50 percent faster CPU and up to 30 percent faster GPU than the box before it (Apple, 2022). The A19’s extra headroom matters most for games, Siri AI and future tvOS updates, not for opening Netflix.

Here is the spec sheet side by side, using Apple’s specs page for the new model and Apple’s and Amazon’s published specs for the 2022 Wi-Fi + Ethernet model.

Sources: Apple specs, Apple 2026 release, Apple 2022 release, Engadget.

What did not change matters as much as what did. Both boxes top out at 4K and 60 frames per second, and both support Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and Dolby Atmos, Engadget notes. If your complaint about your 2022 box is the picture, the new box will not fix it. Your TV, your HDMI cable and your internet connection decide that.

Apple TV 4K (4th generation) paired with HomePod mini 2 speakers for four-speaker surround. Image: Apple.

Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6

The new box moves from Wi-Fi 6 to Wi-Fi 7 and from Bluetooth 5 to Bluetooth 6, Engadget reports, and Apple’s specs page lists Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2x2 MIMO. That’s future-proofing: you only benefit with a Wi-Fi 7 router.

The practical change is that you no longer pick a model. In 2022, Ethernet and Thread were only on the 128GB box. In 2026 there’s one box with all of it. MacRumors calls it a single configuration with 128GB, Wi-Fi 7 and Ethernet (MacRumors).

Built-in microphones

The 2022 box has no microphones; you hold the remote’s Siri button. The new box has three far-field microphones, so you can say “Siri” or “Hey Siri” from across the room, and Apple says echo cancellation lets it hear you over what’s playing.

The catch: Apple lists hands-free mic support for English, Mandarin, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Hebrew, Norwegian and Swedish.

AV1

Apple says the new box has a dedicated AV1 decoder, and its specs page lists AV1 alongside VP9, HEVC and H.264. Engadget says the lack of AV1 on the 2022 box was a pain point for YouTube users. If YouTube is your main app, this is the strongest technical reason to upgrade.

The $299 problem: what the price history actually says

Apple TV 4K US prices by model and date. Chart: ctrl + alt + orion, from Apple, Engadget and MacRumors.

The $299 price is the part of this launch people will argue about, so here’s the history in order.

Apple launched the 2022 model on October 18, 2022 at a starting price of $129 (Apple, 2022). Engadget puts the two 2022 models at $129 for 64GB Wi-Fi and $149 for 128GB with Ethernet. In June, Apple raised them to $199 and $249, citing memory and storage demand from AI data centers. MacRumors confirms those were the most recent prices for the previous model, and that the starting price went from $129 to $299 this year.

• Against the 2022 launch price, $299 is more than double the cheapest box. That’s the number that makes it feel expensive.
• Against what Apple was charging last week, it’s $100 more than the cheapest previous model and $50 more than the 2022 Wi-Fi + Ethernet model it actually matches. Engadget’s math: the extra $50 buys the new chip, the new remote and the microphones.

Apple also offers $299 as $49.83 a month for six months, and says the new box is available in the US and 29 other countries and regions.

So $299 is fair against June’s prices, not against 2022’s. If you were about to buy a 128GB 2022 box, buy the new one instead. If you already own one, the price history doesn’t make this a must-buy.

Don’t buy a 2022 box on Amazon right now

On October 15, 2026, the 2022 Apple TV 4K Wi-Fi + Ethernet 128GB listing showed “Not available” in the buy box, and the 2022 Wi-Fi 64GB model was $290, sold by Adorama, not Amazon.

That’s $91 over Apple’s last $199 price and $9 under the new box. Skip it. Buy the new one, or a used 2022 box only well under the old $199 and $249.

Siri AI is coming to your 2022 box too

This is the fact that changes the upgrade math most. Apple says Siri AI arrives in beta in tvOS 27.2 on Apple TV 4K (2nd generation or later), not just on the new box (Apple). The 2022 model is the 3rd generation, so it’s covered.

The fine print from Apple:

• It’s a beta, and English only at launch, in the US, Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa and the UK.
• The person who owns the home needs an iPhone or iPad that supports Apple Intelligence.
• Some features that run on Apple’s servers have daily limits, and Apple says a fee is coming later.

Engadget notes Siri AI isn’t supported on the first-generation Apple TV 4K or the Apple TV HD. That’s the dividing line. If your box is a 2021 2nd-gen or a 2022 3rd-gen model, you’ll get the headline software feature without buying anything. If it’s older, you won’t.

The 2022 box still won’t be hands-free. And whether Siri AI feels faster on an A19 is untested, so don’t buy on that assumption.

The $59 remote is the cheap upgrade

Precision Finding for the Siri Remote (4th generation) on iPhone. Image: Apple.

The new Siri Remote (4th generation) is sold separately for $59, and Apple says it works with Apple TV HD and every Apple TV 4K model. Its big addition is Find My with Precision Finding, plus the option to play a sound on the remote.

Read the requirements before you buy it just for Precision Finding:

• Precision Finding needs the 4th-gen remote and an iPhone Duo, iPhone Air, or iPhone 17 or later, excluding the iPhone 17e, according to Apple.
• Play a sound is exclusive to the newest Siri Remote.
• Basic Find My support already works on the Siri Remote (2nd generation) or later, Apple says. If your 2022 box came with the USB-C 3rd-gen remote, you already have it.

It’s a good buy if remotes vanish into your couch and you own a recent iPhone. Otherwise, $59 mostly buys a speaker.

Apple also lists four-speaker surround as a new box feature: pair four HomePod mini 2 or HomePod (2nd generation) speakers, in matching pairs, and Apple says it requires the 4th-gen Apple TV 4K. That’s the home theater pitch in the image above. It’s also expensive. We did the math in our HomeView vs Echo Show vs Nest Hub comparison: four HomePod mini 2 speakers plus the new Apple TV is $895 before tax.

Who should upgrade, and who should keep the 2022 box

Upgrade if you own a first-gen Apple TV 4K or an Apple TV HD (no Siri AI for you otherwise), watch a lot of YouTube (AV1), want to talk to the TV without the remote (no update can add microphones), are building HomePod surround (requires the new box, per Apple), or are buying your first Apple TV this fall.

Keep the 2022 box if you mostly stream shows and movies (same 4K at 60 fps, same Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and Atmos, and Siri AI in beta), your real complaint is the remote (buy the $59 one, $240 cheaper than a new box), or you have no Wi-Fi 7 router and don’t watch YouTube, so two headline upgrades would sit idle.

A small shop or waiting-room TV

Think of a TV in a salon waiting area that plays a show, a YouTube channel or a slideshow, and nobody touches it.

If that TV runs a 2022 Apple TV 4K, keep it. The one exception is YouTube. If the TV plays YouTube all day and the stream stutters, the AV1 decoder is a fair reason to replace that box, though no one has yet tested how much difference it makes in practice.

If it runs an Apple TV HD or a first-gen 4K, that’s the box to replace, on the same Siri AI logic as at home.

If it doesn’t run an Apple TV at all, and you just need a slow TV to open apps faster, $299 is a lot. The Fire TV Stick 4K at $59.99 is the cheap fix we wrote about last week, with its own trade-offs, including no Dolby Vision.

Two cautions. Don’t sign a shop box into the owner’s personal Apple Account; purchases and rentals run through it. And a box with three far-field mics in a room full of strangers may not be what you want; decide whether “Siri” listening stays on before it goes on the wall. The same thinking applies to the TV itself; we covered why a smart TV on the shop network is its own risk in the LG smart TV signage piece.

Neither box is a managed signage player. If the screen shows prices or a menu customers rely on, a consumer streaming box is the wrong tool.

Our take

We haven’t tested these ourselves. The new Apple TV 4K isn’t shipping until November 13, and no independent reviews exist yet. These are our editorial ratings based on Apple’s published specs, the price history and early reporting.

Our take: Apple TV 4K (2026, 4th generation) — 4/5

The right Apple TV to buy now, and a fair price against what Apple charged last week, but a hard sell for anyone with a working 2022 box.

• Pro: A19 with double the RAM, per Engadget, and a long support runway.
• Pro: One model with 128GB, Gigabit Ethernet and Thread, so no wrong configuration to buy.
• Pro: Dedicated AV1 decoder and three far-field microphones.
• Con: $299 is more than double the 2022 launch price.
• Con: Same 4K, 60 fps ceiling and same HDR formats as the 2022 box.
• Con: Wi-Fi 7 does nothing without a Wi-Fi 7 router.

Price: $299 on Amazon (preorder, ships November 13), checked October 15, 2026. Not tested by us.

Our take: Apple TV 4K (2022, 3rd generation) — 3.5/5

Still a good box if you already own one; not a good buy at today’s Amazon prices.

• Pro: Same 4K, Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and Atmos output as the new model.
• Pro: Gets Siri AI in beta with tvOS 27.2.
• Pro: Works with the new $59 Siri Remote.
• Con: No microphones in the box and no AV1 decoding.
• Con: Only the 128GB model has Ethernet and Thread.
• Con: On Amazon, the 64GB model costs almost as much as the new box, and the 128GB model is unavailable.

Price: $290 on Amazon for the 64GB Wi-Fi model, sold by Adorama; the 128GB Wi-Fi + Ethernet model showed “Not available.” Checked October 15, 2026. Not tested by us.

Our take: Siri Remote (4th generation) — 4/5

The cheapest way to get the most visible part of the 2026 upgrade on any Apple TV 4K.

• Pro: Works with Apple TV HD and every Apple TV 4K, per Apple.
• Pro: Find My with Precision Finding, plus play-a-sound.
• Con: Precision Finding needs an iPhone Duo, iPhone Air, or iPhone 17 or later (not the 17e).
• Con: If your remote is 2nd gen or later, you already have basic Find My.

Price: $59 on Amazon (preorder, releases November 13), checked October 15, 2026. Not tested by us.

When none of these is the right answer

Your TV’s built-in apps are fine. If nothing lags and you don’t need AirPlay, Apple Home or Apple’s apps, you don’t need a $299 box at all.

You want better picture quality. Neither Apple TV changes the 4K, 60 fps ceiling. A better TV or a better connection will.

You need a menu board or a queue display. Use a real signage player. A consumer streaming box signed into someone’s Apple Account is not one.

You want to wait for reviews. Sensible. The box ships November 13.

FAQ

What’s the difference between the Apple TV 4K 2026 and 2022? The 2026 model has an A19 chip instead of the A15, Wi-Fi 7 instead of Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 6, three built-in far-field microphones, a dedicated AV1 decoder, and a Siri Remote with Precision Finding. It comes in one $299 configuration with 128GB, Ethernet and Thread. Video output is still capped at 4K, 60 fps on both.

How much is the Apple TV 4K 2026? $299 in the US, or $49.83 a month for six months from Apple. Amazon listed it at $299 for preorder on October 15, 2026. There’s only one configuration.

When does the Apple TV 4K (4th generation) come out? Preorders opened October 13, 2026, and Apple says it’s available November 13, 2026.

Will my 2022 Apple TV 4K get Siri AI? Yes, in beta. Apple says Siri AI comes in tvOS 27.2 to Apple TV 4K (2nd generation or later), in English first and in a limited list of countries. Engadget notes the first-gen 4K and the Apple TV HD won’t get it. You’ll still need the remote’s Siri button on a 2022 box, because it has no built-in microphones.

Does the new Siri Remote work with older Apple TVs? Yes. Apple says the $59 Siri Remote (4th generation) works with Apple TV HD and all Apple TV 4K models. Precision Finding needs an iPhone Duo, iPhone Air, or iPhone 17 or later, excluding the iPhone 17e.

Is the Apple TV 4K 2026 worth $299 if I already have the 2022 model? For most people, no. If you watch a lot of YouTube, want hands-free Siri, or want HomePod surround, it can be. Otherwise, keep the 2022 box and buy the $59 remote if your current one is the problem.

Sources

5 refs

1. Apple Newsroom, “Apple unveils the new Apple TV 4K” (October 13, 2026): A19 performance claims, AV1 decoder, microphones and languages, Siri Remote features and requirements, four-speaker surround, $299 price and November 13 availability, Siri AI on 2nd-gen and later. https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2026/10/apple-unveils-the-new-apple-tv-4k/apple.com
2. Apple, Apple TV 4K technical specifications (checked October 15, 2026): 128GB, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, Thread, HDMI 2.1, Gigabit Ethernet, three-mic array, video and audio formats. https://www.apple.com/apple-tv-4k/specs/apple.com
3. Engadget, Luke James (October 13, 2026): 2022 launch prices, June price increase, double the RAM, no mics on the 2022 box, AV1 and YouTube, Siri AI support limits. https://www.engadget.com/2286141engadget.com
4. MacRumors, Joe Rossignol, “Apple TV 4K is now even more expensive” (October 13, 2026): single configuration, previous $199 and $249 prices, $129 to $299 starting price. https://www.macrumors.com/2026/10/13/apple-tv-4k-is-now-even-more-expensive/macrumors.com
5. Apple Newsroom, “Apple introduces the powerful next-generation Apple TV 4K” (October 18, 2022): A15 Bionic, 64GB and 128GB configurations, $129 starting price, $59 Siri Remote. https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2022/10/apple-introduces-the-powerful-next-generation-apple-tv-4k/apple.com