I've been an Apple TV user since 2015, back when the tech giant first launched tvOS and the ill-fated Siri Remote. Since then, a lot has changed. The set-top box moved to 4K in 2017, then got the far better Siri Remote (2nd-gen) in 2021, ditching the awful touchpad version that was frustrating to use. More recently, there was the jump to a smaller design and the A15 Bionic chip in 2022.
This is where the new A19-powered Apple TV 4K (4th-gen, 2026) comes in. After four years without a hardware refresh, the Apple TV 4K was long overdue for a performance boost, and Apple has finally delivered one.
There are other new features, too, including three built-in far-field microphones designed to work with on-device Siri AI, upgraded HomePod surround sound support, and a new Siri Remote (4th-gen) with built-in Find My support.
While the performance boost is substantial, whether it's worth it for you to upgrade to the 4th-gen Apple TV 4K (2026) will ultimately come down to what Apple TV 4K you're currently using, or if you're new to Apple's set-top box, whether you're willing to deal with its restrictive tvOS operating system.
On top of that, there's the 4th-gen Apple TV's expensive $300 price tag, which, any way you look at it, is a ridiculous amount of money for a streaming device (though, to be fair, the competing, far older Nvidia Shield TV Pro (2019) also costs $300).
The Apple TV has always been my top streaming device choice because I appreciate Apple's stripped-back approach to streaming with tvOS. I give up the freedom to sideload and tinker with settings, but in return, I get a UI that's simple, elegant, and straight-up just works nearly all the time, as much as some people don't like to admit it.
About this article: Apple sent XDA the Apple TV 4K (4th-gen) for review. The company had no input on the contents of this article.
The Apple TV 4K (4th-gen, 2026) features Apple's A19 chip, 8GB RAM, and only comes with 128GB of storage (there's no cheaper 64GB model with this refresh). It can stream 4K content at up to 60fps, and supports Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG. On the audio side, the set-top box features Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital Plus 7.1, and Dolby Digital 5.1. Codec support includes AV1, HEVC, H.264, VP9, and MPEG-4.
The new Apple TV 4K includes HDMI 2.1, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and a Gigabit Ethernet port. In terms of smart home connectivity, the streamer supports Thread, Matter, and HomeKit. The Apple TV 4K (2026) includes three far-field microphones and Siri AI support with Personal Context. Like past Apple TV devices, the 4th-generation Apple TV is also fanless.
Lastly, the streaming device weighs 0.47lb (217g) and comes in at 3.67 x 3.67 x 1.22-inches (93.24 x 93.24 x 31mm). The Apple TV 4K (4th-gen, 2026) releases on November 13th, 2026, and costs $300.
I've always viewed streaming devices as the sort of gadget you set up, put under your TV or slide into an HDMI port, and mostly forget about. This is why I've been locked in the Apple TV's world for well over a decade now. Unlike other streamers, it's so reliable that most of the time, I forget it's even there.
With that in mind, the Apple TV 4K isn't really the type of device you need to upgrade with every generation, even if the releases are several years apart.
Unless, of course, a particular feature really catches your eye, or your older Apple TV 4K starts to run into performance issues. In my case, my Apple TV 4K (2021) still runs great, so an upgrade is far…
