If you already own the 2022 Apple TV 4K and it streams without trouble, you don't need the new one. Both boxes top out at 4K and 60 frames a second, both support the same HDR formats and Dolby Atmos, and both connect over HDMI 2.1. Apple's new Siri, the headline feature of the launch, is coming to the 2022 box too.
What the 2026 model adds is a faster A19 chip with AV1 decoding, Wi-Fi 7, three microphones so you can talk to Siri without the remote, and support for a surround setup made from four HomePods. Those are real changes. Whether any of them is worth US$299 to you depends on what you'd actually use.
At a glance
| Feature | 2022 (3rd generation) | 2026 (4th generation) |
|---|---|---|
| Chip | A15 Bionic | A19, with a dedicated AV1 decoder |
| Models and storage | Wi-Fi: 64 GB. Wi-Fi + Ethernet: 128 GB | One model, 128 GB |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Gigabit Ethernet | Wi-Fi + Ethernet model only | Yes |
| Thread (smart home) | Wi-Fi + Ethernet model only | Yes |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 6 |
| HDMI | HDMI 2.1: 4K at 60 fps HDR, ARC/eARC, QMS | HDMI 2.1: 4K at 60 fps HDR, ARC/eARC, QMS |
| Highest video output | 4K at 60 fps | 4K at 60 fps |
| HDR formats | Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG | Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10, HLG |
| Dolby Vision profiles listed | Profile 5 | Profiles 8.1 and 5 |
| Video codecs listed | HEVC, H.264, MPEG-4 | AV1, VP9, HEVC, H.264, MPEG-4 |
| Surround audio | Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital Plus 7.1, Dolby Atmos | Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital Plus 7.1, Dolby Atmos |
| Dolby TrueHD or DTS | Not listed | Not listed |
| Microphones in the box | None listed | Three far-field microphones |
| Surround with four HomePods | Not supported | Supported |
| Siri AI (beta, tvOS 27.2) | Yes, where offered | Yes, where offered |
| Siri Remote in the box | 3rd generation, USB-C | 4th generation, USB-C, Precision Finding |
| US price at launch | From US$129 (Wi-Fi model) | US$299 |
- HDMI 2.1 on both boxes doesn't mean 4K at 120 frames a second. Apple lists 4K at 60 fps as the highest output for both.
What's new in the 2026 model
The A19 chip. Apple says it's up to 50 percent faster on the CPU and up to twice as fast on graphics as the 2022 box's A15 Bionic. Those are Apple's figures, from its own tests on pre-production units, not ours. In practice a faster chip mostly shows up as snappier menus and apps and more headroom for games. It doesn't make the same film look any different on your TV.
AV1 decoding. The A19 has a dedicated AV1 decoder, which Apple says allows good-quality streaming with less bandwidth. That only helps when the app you're watching actually sends AV1 video, and Apple doesn't say which services do on Apple TV. Think of it as some future-proofing, not an upgrade you'll notice straight away.
Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6. The new box supports Wi-Fi 7 where your router does. If your router is Wi-Fi 6 or older, you won't get any of the benefit, and if the box is already on a cable, wireless doesn't come into it at all. Bluetooth moves from 5.0 to 6.
Microphones in the box. Three far-field microphones let you talk to Siri from across the room, with no remote in your hand. Apple lists the languages it works in, and says support varies by region: English, French, German, Dutch, Mandarin Chinese, Finnish, Hebrew, Norwegian and Swedish.
Surround sound from four HomePods. The new box can use four HomePod (2nd generation) or HomePod mini 2 speakers, in matching front and rear pairs, as a surround system. Apple lists only the 4th-generation Apple TV 4K for this, so the 2022 box can't do it. It's an option if you're building a system out of Apple speakers. If you already have a receiver and wired speakers, it's not an upgrade to them.
A new Siri Remote. It adds Precision Finding, which guides you to a lost remote, and it can play a sound so you can hear where it is. Precision Finding needs an iPhone Duo, iPhone Air or iPhone 17 or later (not the 17e). Playing a sound works only with this new remote.
What hasn't changed
The picture. Both boxes output up to 4K at 60 frames a second and support Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG. Both have HDMI 2.1, but on an Apple TV that means eARC and Quick Media Switching, not 4K at 120 frames a second. Apple lists 4K at 60 as the limit on both.
Apple's 2026 specifications also name Dolby Vision Profile 8.1 alongside Profile 5, where the 2022 page names Profile 5 only. That's mostly relevant if you play your own video files rather than streaming apps. Apple hasn't said whether the 2022 box handles Profile 8.1, so we're not going to guess.
The sound. The audio list is the same on both: Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 and Dolby Atmos, plus lossless music formats such as Apple Lossless and FLAC. So a streaming app that offers Atmos can send it from either box.
Streaming Atmos isn't the same thing as the lossless Dolby TrueHD or DTS soundtracks on a Blu-ray. Neither specification lists Dolby TrueHD or DTS, so if you play ripped discs from your own files, the new box's specifications don't promise anything the old one doesn't. Check what your app and receiver support before you buy for this reason.
What your 2022 box gets anyway
Siri AI. Apple's new Siri, the feature it led the launch with, is coming to every Apple TV 4K from the 2nd generation onwards, and that includes the 2022 box. It arrives as a beta in tvOS 27.2, in English, at first in the US, Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa and the UK. The home owner also needs an iPhone or iPad that supports Apple Intelligence, and Apple says usage limits may apply. On the 2022 box you'd talk to it through the remote rather than across the room.
The new remote. Apple sells the new Siri Remote on its own and says it works with Apple TV HD and every Apple TV 4K. If you keep losing the remote, buying just the remote costs far less than replacing the box. Find My itself works with any Siri Remote from the 2nd generation onwards, including the one that came with the 2022 box, as long as you have an iPhone on the latest iOS.
Which 2022 model do you have?
The 2022 Apple TV 4K came in two versions, and for this comparison they're quite different. The Wi-Fi + Ethernet model (128 GB) already has Gigabit Ethernet and Thread for smart home accessories. The cheaper Wi-Fi model (64 GB) has neither.
If you have the Ethernet model on a cable, the new box's networking changes very little for you. If you have the Wi-Fi model and streaming stutters, a wired connection might help, but check your network, router and internet speed first. A new box won't fix a weak signal in the room or a slow connection to your home.
Will films look or sound better?
Apple doesn't claim they will, and nothing in the specifications suggests it. The formats are the same, the output is the same, and your TV, receiver and speakers still do the work. If a film looks or sounds wrong on the 2022 box, the new one is unlikely to be the fix.
If Dolby Atmos is the problem, look at the connections first. Apple's advice is to connect the Apple TV directly to an HDMI input on your soundbar or receiver, because most TVs don't pass Atmos through. It also says Apple TV 4K uses a high-bandwidth form of Atmos that doesn't work over ARC. Going through the TV can work over eARC if the TV passes the signal on, but that depends on your TV, so check its manual.
If your receiver shows PCM rather than Dolby Atmos, that isn't necessarily a fault. Our article on why your receiver says PCM explains why, and the no-Atmos troubleshooter goes through the usual causes one at a time.
Is it worth upgrading?
If you own the 2022 Ethernet model: almost certainly not. You'd be paying US$299 for a faster chip, Wi-Fi 7, microphones and the HomePod option, and your box gets the new Siri anyway, where Apple offers it.
If you own the 2022 Wi-Fi model: probably not, unless you need Ethernet or Thread. If you do, compare the new box with a secondhand or leftover 2022 Wi-Fi + Ethernet model, and take condition and warranty into account.
If you want hands-free Siri, or surround from HomePods: these are the new box's real reasons to exist. If either matters to you, it's the one to buy. For the HomePod setup, add up the cost of four speakers before you decide, not just the box.
If you're buying your first Apple TV: get the 2026 model if the price works for you. It's the current hardware and will do everything the 2022 box does. If you find a 2022 Wi-Fi + Ethernet model for much less, it's still a good streamer for a home cinema, with the same picture and sound formats.
If what bothers you is boomy or uneven bass, a new box won't change it. That comes from the room, and a measurement opened in the REW Analyzer will show you where.
Apple took pre-orders from 13 October 2026 in the US and 29 other countries and regions, and gives 13 November as the date the box reaches stores. Its announcement doesn't name the other countries or local prices, so check Apple's store for where you live.