BusinessProduct LaunchJune 24, 2026

Apple TV 4K held back for tvOS 27, A17 Pro, and Siri AI

Apple is reportedly holding back a redesigned Apple TV 4K featuring an A17 Pro chip and Wi-Fi 7 until the release of tvOS 27, positioning the device as a localized AI endpoint with hardware-accelerated ray tracing and expanded smart home connectivity. The new model is expected to launch in late 2026, leveraging supply chain leaks from analysts like Ming-Chi Kuo and Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

Key Takeaways

The new Apple TV 4K reportedly jumps from the A15 Bionic (4 GB RAM) straight to the 3nm A17 Pro chip — the same silicon used in the $999 iPhone 15 Pro — enabling hardware-accelerated ray tracing and localized Apple Intelligence processing.
Apple's custom N1 chip adds Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and expanded Thread network support, positioning the device as a central hub for Matter-compatible smart home accessories.
The Siri Remote is rumored to gain an embedded ultra-wideband chip for iPhone precision finding (similar to AirTag tracking) and potentially backlit buttons.
Tim Cook warned investors about "unavoidable" price increases from global memory shortages; Apple may eliminate the $129 entry tier, forcing a single $149–$169 model.
Launch is targeted for September or October 2026, aligned with the public release of tvOS 27 and the rebuilt AI-powered Siri.

Why It Matters

The A17 Pro in a sub-$170 streaming box means Apple is subsidizing flagship smartphone silicon into a living room accessory — a hardware strategy that changes the competitive math against dedicated streaming devices and casual gaming consoles. By pairing the chip with Wi-Fi 7, Thread/Matter hub functionality, and localized Siri, Apple is collapsing the smart home hub, streaming endpoint, and casual gaming device into a single product. If Apple eliminates the $129 tier, the pricing pressure falls on Roku and Google to justify their simpler streaming-only boxes at similar price points. Watch for whether Apple announces the device at its September iPhone event or holds it for a separate October launch.

Additional Context

The current Apple TV 4K launched in October 2022, making it the longest gap between Apple TV refreshes in the product's history. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has repeatedly signaled an imminent launch — first pointing to 2024, then 2025, and now fall 2026 — with each delay tied to Siri development issues (per FlatpanelsHD, June 2026). In his May 31, 2026 Power On newsletter, Gurman reported that the hardware has been "done for months" and is already in active use among Apple employees at Cupertino headquarters, but Apple refuses to launch without the rebuilt Siri experience (per MacRumors, May 2026).

Apple announced tvOS 27 at WWDC 2026 on June 8, 2026, dropping support for both the Apple TV HD and the first-generation Apple TV 4K (per FlatpanelsHD, June 2026). Notably, Siri AI was not mentioned at all during the tvOS 27 presentation, likely because the conversational Siri upgrade requires the new A17 Pro hardware to function (per 9to5Mac, June 2026). Siri AI also remains unavailable in EU countries, which Apple attributes to conflicts between DMA requirements and its AI privacy architecture (per FlatpanelsHD, June 2026).

On the competitive side, Google launched its Google TV Streamer in summer 2024 as a replacement for Chromecast, while Nvidia's Shield hasn't received a hardware update since October 2019 (per FlatpanelsHD, June 2026). Neither device offers on-device AI processing or Matter hub functionality. Separately, Apple code leaks first uncovered by MacRumors in August 2025 confirmed the A17 Pro as the target chip for the new Apple TV 4K, making it the oldest Apple silicon that supports Apple Intelligence (per AppleInsider, August 2025). The A17 Pro also enables hardware-accelerated AV1 decoding, which neither the current A15-based Apple TV nor most competitor streaming boxes support (per FlatpanelsHD, June 2026).

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