The new Apple TV 4K costs £299 in the UK, and it’s easy to see why that price is attracting attention. Four years after the 2022 model arrived, Apple has finally refreshed its streaming box with a faster processor, hands-free Siri and a new approach to HomePod surround sound. But is that enough to tempt people who already own one?
The answer depends less on the television you watch and more on what you want your Apple TV to do. Someone who uses it purely for Netflix and BBC iPlayer might barely notice the difference. An Apple enthusiast who uses Arcade, smart-home controls and voice features could have a stronger reason to upgrade.
Apple has confirmed the £299 UK price and pre-orders, with the specifications detailed in its official announcement. We’ve already covered the wider Apple TV, HomeView and HomePod mini 2 launch; this time we’re looking at where the extra money actually goes.
A19 versus A15: will the new Apple TV 4K feel faster?
The fourth-generation Apple TV 4K swaps the 2022 model’s A15 Bionic chip for an A19. Apple claims up to 50% better CPU performance and twice the GPU performance compared with the previous generation. That’s a substantial improvement on paper, although we haven’t benchmarked the new hardware ourselves.
The extra power ought to be useful for more demanding Apple Arcade games and whatever tvOS introduces over the coming years. It could also make animations and navigation snappier. Yet the 2022 Apple TV 4K is already a quick, responsive streamer. Moving around the home screen, opening an app and starting a film generally don’t demand the sort of performance that exposes a huge gap between these chips.
If you regularly play games on Apple TV, the A19 is worth watching. If your evenings are spent moving between Disney+, Prime Video and iPlayer, raw speed probably won’t be the reason to spend £299.
AV1 is a useful addition, but don’t expect every film to look better
AV1 is a video compression format designed to preserve picture quality while using bandwidth efficiently. The new A19 has a dedicated AV1 decoder, which means the Apple TV can handle compatible streams in hardware.
That’s good news for compatibility as streaming services adopt different delivery formats. It doesn’t mean AV1 automatically improves everything you watch. The original master, streaming bitrate, app and television will still have more influence on the picture you see.
This is also where the existing box deserves some credit. The 2022 Apple TV 4K already supports Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and Dolby Atmos. Those features haven’t become obsolete overnight. AV1 offers another way of delivering video, not a guaranteed jump in image quality through the same television.
Hands-free Siri is the biggest everyday difference
For some households, the most noticeable change may have nothing to do with video. Three far-field microphones built into the new Apple TV 4K let you speak to Siri without searching for the remote. Apple says echo cancellation helps it recognise your voice while programmes are playing.
Being able to ask for a series, change playback or follow up with another question from across the room could become surprisingly useful. Then again, a living room full of conversations and a powerful soundbar is a tougher environment than a staged demonstration. We need real-world use to know how reliable it is.
There’s an important catch for anyone thinking Siri AI itself demands new hardware: Apple says the Siri AI beta also supports Apple TV 4K second generation and later. That includes the 2022 model. Its new conversational features are launching in English in the UK, subject to compatible software and applicable feature limits. Personal-context requests can additionally draw on an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone.
The older box won’t suddenly acquire built-in microphones, but much of the software experience isn’t reserved for the £299 model. We’ve covered other features coming to compatible hardware in our tvOS 27 guide. It’s worth checking what an update brings before assuming you need to replace the device.
At last, a Siri Remote that can make a sound
Apple has given the new Siri Remote Precision Finding and an audible alert, a welcome improvement for something designed to disappear between sofa cushions. Earlier compatible Siri Remotes already supported finding assistance through an iPhone, but the new remote adds a more precise way to track it down.
Precision Finding requires a compatible iPhone, and Apple says the remote can be purchased separately for earlier Apple TV models. So if losing the remote is your biggest complaint about the 2022 box, there’s a more modest purchase to consider than an entirely new streamer.
Four HomePods could be a bigger change than the processor
The more ambitious home cinema feature is support for four HomePods. The new Apple TV 4K can use HomePod mini 2 or second-generation full-size HomePod speakers in front and rear pairs. Both speakers in each pair have to match, although the front and rear pairs can use different eligible models.
Apple says the system recognises the speakers’ positions and adjusts timing and levels automatically. For someone who wants a tidy, predominantly wireless Apple-based setup, that has obvious appeal. It’s also a first for the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K rather than something being added to the 2022 model.
The cost matters, though. Four HomePods are additional purchases, so £299 is only the starting point. And we haven’t heard the arrangement in a normal living room to judge how well it handles dialogue, rear effects or bass. Apple’s description of its most immersive HomePod system yet is a promise to test, not a verdict we’re ready to repeat.
What if you already own a Dolby Atmos soundbar?
Here’s the question many home cinema owners will care about most: will the new Apple TV make an existing soundbar sound better? On the announced features alone, there isn’t a compelling reason to expect a dramatic improvement.
A 2022 Apple TV 4K can already send Dolby Atmos audio from supported streaming services to compatible equipment. Swapping the source box doesn’t add drivers, a subwoofer or rear speakers to your existing system. Our Samsung HW-Q930F review shows why the speakers and room setup themselves make such a difference.
Nor is the new four-HomePod mode a way of attaching HomePods as rear speakers to a Samsung, Sonos or Bose soundbar. It’s a separate Apple arrangement. The television’s audio settings and HDMI connections still matter, too, as we explain in our HDMI eARC guide.
That doesn’t make a new Apple TV pointless for soundbar owners. It simply means the reasons to upgrade are likely to be speed, usability and new features rather than an automatic improvement to the Dolby Atmos soundtrack.
There are still a few questions Apple hasn’t answered
Apple’s announcement doesn’t confirm some enthusiast requests, including new lossless surround bitstream passthrough for AV receivers, native 4K output at 120Hz or Dolby Vision 2 support. It’s important not to claim those features are present; equally, an announcement that doesn’t mention them isn’t proof they could never be supported.
Apple is also placing more emphasis on the box as a smart-home hub, with Siri controls and support for Apple Intelligence-generated camera activity descriptions and notification summaries where the necessary compatible devices and services are set up. That’s potentially useful if Apple Home already plays a big part in the household, though many basic home-hub functions were available on earlier Apple TV hardware.
The remaining unknown is how much the improvements are worth in ordinary use. A more responsive interface, a microphone that works from the sofa and new speaker options could all be valuable. Whether they add up to £299 for a particular household is harder to judge from a launch specification sheet.
Should you upgrade from the 2022 Apple TV 4K?
Apple’s 2022 model launched from £149 in the UK, with 64GB storage in the Wi-Fi version and 128GB in the Ethernet version. Those configurations aren’t directly identical to the new model, but the £299 price still asks buyers to think carefully about what they’ll gain.
If you’re starting from scratch, the A19, AV1 support and hands-free Siri make the fourth-generation model attractive. There’s also a sensible case for people who enjoy having the latest Apple hardware and expect to keep it for years. Enthusiasts don’t necessarily buy an upgrade because the old product has stopped working.
If you already own the 2022 version, look at the features you would actually use. Our long-term Apple TV 4K review shows why that model remains capable, while our comparison with built-in smart TV apps is a useful starting point for anyone deciding whether they need a separate streaming box at all.
Tech Torque Verdict
The new Apple TV 4K is a meaningful hardware upgrade, but not one that every 2022 owner needs. The A19 and AV1 decoder should give it more headroom, while hands-free Siri is the sort of feature that might improve everyday use more than another increase in processing power. Four-HomePod surround sound could be the biggest attraction for people building a new Apple-focused cinema system.
For existing owners with a good Dolby Atmos soundbar, the main video and audio formats are already covered by the 2022 box. But that doesn’t rule out upgrading. There are perfectly reasonable arguments for wanting faster hardware, more flexible video support and hands-free control, particularly if you intend to keep the new model for several years. Whether those gains justify £299 is a decision best made around how you use Apple TV, not simply whether the older model still works.
This is a buying analysis based on announced specifications and existing product coverage. Tech Torque Media has not independently tested the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K.
