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New Apple TV Waiting for Siri: Here's What's Coming When It Launches

Zacarias5 said:
I took the internet's advice and didn't upgrade my 2021 ATV 4K ( 2nd Gen) to the ATV 4K 3rd Gen in 2022. So here I am in 2026 with my five year old 2021 ATV 4K. Turns out the 2021 ATV 4K remains the center of my streaming content and nightly viewing. Can someone remind me why Apple updated the 2021 4K ATV in 2022 again?
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Think of it like new car years. The latest Toyota Camry is nearly identical the previous years. They don't expect people to upgrade every year, but those that happen to need/want a new car will get the latest. And when you do upgrade your car in say five years then you get the sum total of five years of minor upgrades. Also, Apple (like with car makers) may no longer have access to high volumes of the older parts but plenty of newer parts.
 
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Blur Busters said:
Most new 4K TVs (midrange and up) now have a toggleable 120 Hz feature, so it would be nice to support 120 Hz in the new Apple TV.

60 vs 120 is massively more visible on the OLED TVs than on the slower LCDs. Like the my MacBook Pro or the current XDR displays that prioritizes color (over pixel response), to the point where 60 vs 120 is almost invisible due to pixel response throttling Hz differences.

Especially given the large sizes of a TV. Most mainstream 2D content (e.g. scrolling, simpler games) would even benefit ergonomically.
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Yes plz 120hz
It’ll help TVs without qms
 
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star-affinity said:
I don’t see why it can’t be released now if the hardware is ready and then update the marketing and software for it when the new Siri is ready.

What would they lose by going for that approach? 🤔
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All they really lose is dramatic impact, but that is worth something to them - being able to announce "here it is, brand new and all-singing / all-dancing" to them is a big win over "here it is, brand new, and, uh, some-singing / some-dancing". Unveiling new previously undisclosed abilities in 3-6 months doesn't sell more new Apple TVs now, it just dilutes the marketing splash by spreading it out over time.

From their perspective, better to release it fully ready with all the new features all at once. From my perspective, I'd happily buy a new one now (if the updated features seem interesting), with or without the promise of future features - my Apple TV (which has been swapped out several times over the last 10 years) has been my primary interface to my TV that whole time (I can go weeks without touching my actual TV remote), and the consistently under $200 pricing has been a small price to pay for upgraded features. I mean, if it's just "the new one is 5 MHz faster and comes in red now", I won't care (I never upgraded from the 4K gen 2 to the 4K gen 3 for similar reasons), but if it's a meaningful upgrade (regardless of Siri), I'll happily buy a new one.
 
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MacRumors said:
... It's now sounding like we're not going to get a new version for several months because of Siri delays.
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Sirialism …

… is the strategy Apple uses to announce and subsequently delay upgrading its virtual assistant Siri to AI chatbot. It was first established at the 2024 WWDC with Craig Federighi’s Manifesto to resolve the contradictory conditions of available and unavailable into an absolute reality of a promise, a super-promise or Siri-reality for delivering the new smart Siri by fall 2025, then by OS 26.4, then sometime in 2026.
 
At this point just wait until 2028 and then release the version they thought about releasing in 2024. Make ATV a four year cycle where you only get the latest features for two years. Sort of like they are already doing.
 
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MacRumors said:


We're long overdue for an Apple TV update, and there have been rumors about an imminent refresh since late last year. It's now sounding like we're not going to get a new version for several months because of Siri delays. If you're holding out for a new model, here's a recap on what to expect when it eventually comes out so you can decide whether to continue to wait, or buy now.

Apple-TV-Thumb-3.jpg

Design

Apple TV design updates are few and far between, and that's not changing in 2026. The next Apple TV is going to have the same squircle shape as the current model, and it'll continue to be made from a black plastic material.

We're expecting the 2026 Apple TV to be indistinguishable from the existing Apple TV on the exterior.
New Chip

A new A-series chip will be the main Apple TV update, and rumors suggest that it will get the A17 Pro chip that Apple first used in the iPhone 15 Pro models.

Compared to the A15 Bionic in the current Apple TV, the A17 Pro is a big update, and it's a good reason to hold off on buying the current model. The A17 Pro is built on a 3-nanometer process for faster speed and better efficiency, and it has hardware-accelerated ray tracing for higher-quality graphics in games.

Given that Apple has held the Apple TV update for so long, it's entirely possible it'll get an even newer chip like the A18 or A19. A RAM update is possible too, especially if the Apple TV has any kind of Apple Intelligence support.

Apple Intelligence and Siri

The next Apple TV is supposedly ready to launch at any time, but new Siri features are the holdup. Apple wants to debut the Apple TV with the smarter version of Siri that's in the works, and it's not ready to go.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says the Apple TV is linked to "new artificial intelligence features" that Apple has postponed until September 2026. Apple intended to launch the Apple Intelligence Siri features in spring 2026, but the company was still experiencing issues with Siri. At this point, we're not going to see new Siri capabilities until iOS 27, which also means a delay for all the devices that Apple is holding.

Along with the Apple TV, the rumored home hub and a next-generation version of the HomePod are waiting on Siri.

Updated Siri features will likely require more RAM and a faster chip, so if you want the smarter Siri on the Apple TV, that's another reason to wait before making a purchase.

Wi-Fi

The Apple TV could get Apple's N1 networking chip with Wi-Fi 7 support. Wi-Fi 7 works with the 6GHz band offered by newer routers.

6GHz connectivity is faster and less congested, which you generally want for a device designed for streaming content.

Bluetooth

The Apple TV 4K could get Bluetooth 6 for connecting devices like controllers and earbuds.

Pricing

There might be a cheaper version of the Apple TV available because there have been rumors of a price drop.

Apple could release two models, one that's higher-end and one that has lower specs and a lower price tag, or it could keep the existing Apple TV around as a low-cost option.

Launch Date

If the new version of Siri has been pushed to iOS 27 and the Apple TV is tied to that update, we're not going to see the Apple TV refreshed until September 2026 or later.

Article Link: New Apple TV Waiting for Siri: Here's What's Coming When It Launches
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What would it cost Apple to throw an M series chip in there?

Throw in an M5 and you’ve got a machine more powerful than an Xbox Series S.

It would be so easy for Apple to jump into the console business. But for some reason, they haven’t made that move. They’ve been trying for years to move beyond crappy phone games and get into real AAA blockbusters - and they’ve made some real progress since the advent of Apple silicon - but the fact that they still have no plug-and-play TV option is holding back their entire gaming ecosystem.

An M5 or even an M4 would be a game changer. Literally. It doesn’t even need to be a Pro or Max. Just a base M4 would open up a whole new world of possibilities for the Apple TV. And that would be a force multiplier to improve gaming on the Mac and iPad.
 
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heyyoudvd said:
What would it cost Apple to throw an M series chip in there?

Throw in an M5 and you’ve got a machine more powerful than an Xbox Series S.

It would be so easy for Apple to jump into the console business. But for some reason, they haven’t made that move. They’ve been trying for years to move beyond crappy phone games and get into real AAA blockbusters - and they’ve made some real progress since the advent of Apple silicon - but the fact that they still have no plug-and-play TV option is holding back their entire gaming ecosystem.

An M5 or even an M4 would be a game changer. Literally. It doesn’t even need to be a Pro or Max. Just a base M4 would open up a whole new world of possibilities for the Apple TV. And that would be a force multiplier to improve gaming on the Mac and iPad.
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So basically a Mac Mini but for $129?? Well I'd buy that but I don't see that happening.
 
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Hillstones said:
Must be a slow news day for the BS snake oil salesman, Gurman. Every other day he is making up 💩about AppleTV and we all know nothing is going to happen until Apple finishes Siri with Gemini, and even then, it probably won't work and provide useless searches like Siri does now on AppleTV. And an update it pretty pointless since the last 3 generations already do 4K video streaming, which is what the AppleTV was designed to do. I have a current AppleTV and a first generation AppleTV 4K and they both do the exact same thing. Releasing one just because it has been a few years is not the reason to release a new model.
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The current Apple TV does not support AV1 hardware decode, nor does it support 120Hz. Both of these are needed, the former AV1 hardware decoding more than the 120Hz simply due to the quality leap of AV1 encoded streams.

heyyoudvd said:
What would it cost Apple to throw an M series chip in there?

Throw in an M5 and you’ve got a machine more powerful than an Xbox Series S.

It would be so easy for Apple to jump into the console business. But for some reason, they haven’t made that move. They’ve been trying for years to move beyond crappy phone games and get into real AAA blockbusters - and they’ve made some real progress since the advent of Apple silicon - but the fact that they still have no plug-and-play TV option is holding back their entire gaming ecosystem.

An M5 or even an M4 would be a game changer. Literally. It doesn’t even need to be a Pro or Max. Just a base M4 would open up a whole new world of possibilities for the Apple TV. And that would be a force multiplier to improve gaming on the Mac and iPad.
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Apple TV Pro with an M4 and 2.5G/10G ethernet for $699? I'd seriously consider it. Ultimately (like I responded above) AV1 hardware decoding, 4K120 output support would tip me in that direction if that's what it took (versus a regular ATV that might not support those). Frankly keep the 256GB storage, I don't even really use it on any of my ATV4K units, I just wanted ethernet.
 
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star-affinity said:
I don’t see why it can’t be released now if the hardware is ready and then update the marketing and software for it when the new Siri is ready.

What would they lose by going for that approach? 🤔
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While it would please you, it may confuse regular consumers, considering—besides the faster chip it will be the key differentiating feature vs all other Apple TVs, as it will be the first one with Apple Intelligence. This way, no other Apple TV owners will be expecting those feature when their neighbour just uploaded their software and got them. It will be marketed as something you need to go out and buy to get.
 
bunce66 said:
At this point, the delays are just ridiculous. WHy not just release it and do a software update when the time comes?
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yeah, my thoughts too. I thought it was fine when they released iPhone 16 even though the AI stuff wasn't ready but much of the world didn't quite agree and Apple took a dumping that I think they wanted to avoid with their AI enabled ATV.
 
jouster said:
I like the colors on that mockup and wish Apple would occasionally move away from the monochromatic approach to hardware. Something iridescent would be cool every now and then.
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Nah I’d like it to stay black to match my TV, speakers, and receiver. An iridescent Mini or Studio? Sure.
 
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