I really want the new Apple TV 4K – but it’s probably too pricey for most: UK pricing and details
Key Points
- The fourth-generation Apple TV 4K costs £299 in the UK
- Pre-orders are open now, with store availability from 13 November
- Siri AI launches in English in the UK and reaches older Apple TV 4K models
- An A19 chip brings up to 50% faster CPU performance
- Four HomePod speakers can now create a surround sound setup
Apple’s new Apple TV 4K costs £299 in the UK, and I really want one. Apple announced the fourth-generation streaming box on 13 October, with pre-orders open now and stock arriving in stores on 13 November.
That price is double what Apple charged for the previous model, which launched at £149 for the 64GB Wi-Fi version and £169 for the 128GB version with Ethernet.
Why I keep coming back to Apple TV
I have tried Amazon’s Fire TV Sticks and the built-in apps on several smart TVs, and Apple TV is the one I settled on as the best of the lot.
The new model is a more capable version of the box already sitting under my TV, which makes the upgrade very tempting.
The bigger pull is the rest of Apple’s newly announced Home line-up, and I will likely buy into that alongside the new box.
Siri AI comes to the living room
Apple built the new Apple TV 4K around Siri AI, a rebuilt version of Siri running on the next generation of Apple Intelligence.
Users can ask Siri AI which Apple TV shows won at the Emmy Awards this year and get a full-screen set of results with poster art pulled from the Apple TV app.
While watching, viewers can ask follow-up questions such as where a show was filmed or whether it suits a 15-year-old, with answers appearing in a small overlay.
With a paired Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone, Siri AI can also use personal context to handle requests like playing a show a friend recommended.
Siri AI launches as a beta in English in the UK, alongside the US, Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Singapore and South Africa.
It also works on Apple TV 4K models from the second generation onwards, so existing owners like me get the new Siri without buying new hardware.
What else is new
Other upgrades in the new Apple TV 4K include:
- Three far-field microphones that let users talk to Siri hands-free, with echo cancellation picking out voices while audio plays
- An A19 chip with up to 50% faster CPU and up to twice the GPU performance of the previous generation
- A dedicated AV1 decoder for high-quality streaming that uses less bandwidth
- A new Siri Remote with Find My support, Precision Finding and an option to play a sound on it
- Apple Intelligence-generated camera activity descriptions and summarised notifications for HomeKit Secure Video
- Secure Exclaves on the A19 chip, which process microphone data separately from the rest of the system
Precision Finding on the remote requires an iPhone Air, iPhone Duo or iPhone 17 or later, excluding the iPhone 17e.
Apple also sells the new Siri Remote separately, and it works with the Apple TV HD and older Apple TV 4K models.
Apple added a screen saver shuffle feature and new controls for which iCloud photos appear on the TV, so users can avoid showing their entire library.
The real cost of an Apple home theatre
For the first time, the new box supports a four-speaker surround sound setup using HomePod mini 2 or HomePod (2nd generation) speakers.
The speakers detect their position in the room and calibrate audio timing and levels automatically, though front and rear pairs must match.
“Pair it with HomePod for the best surround sound setup we’ve ever offered, and it makes managing your Apple Home accessories easier than ever,” said Bob Borchers, Apple’s vice president of worldwide product marketing.
Apple positions the Apple TV 4K alongside its newly announced HomeView, HomePod mini 2 and Apple Home Collection products.
The HomePod (2nd generation) launched at £299, so four of them plus the new box would come to £1,495.
Could a cheaper Apple TV stick be coming?
At £299, Apple’s box costs more than four times as much as Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K Max, which carries a £69.99 list price.
Apple has never sold a stick-style streamer, and it stopped selling its cheaper Apple TV HD in 2022.
A cheaper 4K stick running tvOS would suit people who only want the Apple TV app and Siri AI without the home hub extras.
Apple has not announced anything like that, but I would not be surprised to see a lower-priced option arrive in future.
