New Apple TV 4K Launches from £199 but Divides Opinion Among Home Cinema Buyers

If you’ve been eyeing up a new streaming box for the living room, Apple has something to say about it. The company has announced its fourth-generation Apple TV 4K, and while it brings some genuinely useful additions, it’s also asking you to spend considerably more than before — and not everyone thinks the upgrade justifies the cost.

The new device comes in two versions on Apple’s UK store. The Wi-Fi-only model with 64GB of storage is priced at £199. Step up to the Wi-Fi and Ethernet model with 128GB of storage, and you’re looking at £299. That’s a £100 gap between the two, and a meaningful jump for what is, at its heart, a box that sits behind your telly.

What’s Actually New

The headline addition is hands-free Siri control. The new Apple TV 4K includes four far-field microphones, which means you can call out to Siri from across the room without picking up the remote — much like you’d use an Amazon Echo or a Google Nest speaker. For anyone who’s ever fumbled for a remote mid-film, that’s a welcome change.

For their part, the Siri Remote itself also gains Find My support. Apple’s tracking network, which already helps people locate lost AirPods, iPhones, and AirTags, can now help you find your remote when it’s slipped down the back of the sofa. Anyone who’s experienced that particular frustration will understand why this matters.

Under the hood, the device runs on Apple’s A19 chip — a step up from the A15 Bionic used in the previous model, which launched back in 2022. There’s also a dedicated AV1 video decoder, which handles a video compression format increasingly used by streaming services to deliver better picture quality without eating up as much bandwidth.

And for households already invested in Apple’s speaker ecosystem, there’s a new surround-sound option. The new Apple TV 4K supports pairing up to four compatible HomePod speakers to create a multi-channel audio setup around a room. That could appeal to anyone who’s built up a collection of HomePod or HomePod mini speakers over the years.

The Criticism

Not everyone is convinced this is a strong upgrade. The Verge, which reviewed the device, pointed out that Apple has removed the cheapest previous option, leaving the £199 model as the new entry point. And while the new features are real, the publication noted that several improvements home cinema enthusiasts had been hoping for simply haven’t materialised.

The Verge’s assessment was that the premium price and the removal of a lower-cost tier reduce the device’s overall value, especially for buyers who don’t already own HomePod speakers and therefore won’t see any benefit from the new surround-sound capability.

That’s a fair point. If you’re not deep in the Apple ecosystem — no HomePods, perhaps a mix of devices at home — the case for spending £299 on a streaming box becomes harder to make.

Apple’s Case for It

Apple’s position is that the combination of the A19 chip, the AV1 decoder, hands-free Siri, Find My on the remote, and expanded HomePod audio support adds up to a meaningfully better product. The device connects to televisions via HDMI and supports both HD and 4K HDR displays, so it’ll work with most modern sets.

For existing Apple TV users upgrading from an older model, or for households already using HomePod speakers as their main audio setup, those additions do carry genuine weight.

The question, as ever, is whether the improvements are worth it to you specifically — and at what price.

Who’s It For?

This is a device aimed squarely at people already living in Apple’s world. If your home has a HomePod or two, an iPhone on every bedside table, and you’re the sort of person who uses AirPlay to throw content from your phone to the telly, the new Apple TV 4K slots in naturally.

But if you’re looking for a straightforward, affordable way to stream Netflix and BBC iPlayer in 4K, there are cheaper options out there. Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K Max and Google’s Chromecast with Google TV both offer 4K streaming at a fraction of the price. Apple knows its audience, and it isn’t chasing the budget end of the market.

Short version: this is a premium product for premium Apple households.

What This Means for Kent Residents

Kent residents can buy the new Apple TV 4K through Apple’s UK online store and major UK retailers, with the £199 Wi-Fi model and the £299 Wi-Fi and Ethernet model both available. Households here in Kent that already own compatible HomePod speakers will get the most from the new surround-sound feature, while those without Apple speakers may find the upgrade harder to justify at that price. For anyone simply looking for a budget 4K streaming option, the £199 entry-level model or a rival device may offer better value.