New vs old Apple TV 4K: should you upgrade?

If your Apple TV 4K is the 2021 model or the 2022 128 GB model, the new one is a television upgrade, and your smart home gains little from it. The fourth-generation Apple TV 4K, on pre-order and due November 13, 2026, adds an A19 chip, Wi-Fi 7, AV1 decoding and microphones that hear "Siri" without the remote. In Apple Home it does the same job as the Thread-equipped 2021 and 2022 boxes. Apple announced no Matter or Thread capability that needs the new hardware, and the Siri AI beta that arrived in tvOS 27.2 on October 26 also runs on the second generation and later.

The verdict changes by model. The 2017 first generation should stop being your hub: it stopped at tvOS 26 and has no Thread radio. The 2022 64 GB Wi-Fi model has the same chip and HDR support as the 128 GB version but cannot be the Thread hub for a lock or sensor. A HomePod mini or second-generation HomePod already in the home covers that, and a new HomePod mini 2 costs half as much as the new Apple TV. The 2021 second generation and the 2022 128 GB Wi-Fi + Ethernet model should stay unless the television itself needs more.

Find your model number first

Every Apple TV 4K is a small black square, and the two 2022 versions differ mainly by the Ethernet port on the back. On the Apple TV, open Settings > General > About and read the Model line, or check the label on the bottom of the box. A1842 is the first generation, A2169 the second, A2737 the 2022 64 GB Wi-Fi model and A2843 the 2022 128 GB Wi-Fi + Ethernet model. The 2026 model has no published model number yet.

Every Apple TV 4K compared

Sources: Apple specifications for the first, second, third and fourth generations, Apple's model identification page and its tvOS release list.

What the new box adds

Most of the change is on the television side. Apple claims the A19 has up to 50 percent faster CPU performance and up to twice the GPU performance of the previous model's A15, which matters most for games and menu speed. Apple says the dedicated AV1 decoder allows high-quality streaming with less bandwidth. Wi-Fi 7 replaces Wi-Fi 6, and Dolby Vision Profile 8.1 joins Profile 5 in the format list. The new box is also the only Apple TV that runs Apple's four-speaker surround setup, with HomePod mini 2 or second-generation HomePod speakers in matching front and rear pairs. Older Apple TV 4K boxes still play through one HomePod or a stereo pair.

For Apple Home, the microphones are the one hardware change you would notice every day. Three far-field microphones pick up "Siri" while something is playing, so you can run a scene or turn off the lights from the sofa without finding the remote. Hands-free Siri works when the primary tvOS language is English, French, German, Dutch, Finnish, Hebrew, Norwegian, Swedish or Mandarin Chinese (Taiwan), and Apple says support also varies by region. Thread, the home hub role and Matter control are the same as on the second generation and the 128 GB third generation. Apple names no Thread version on any Apple TV specification page, so there is no published Thread upgrade either.

Siri AI is a weak reason to upgrade. The beta arrived in tvOS 27.2 on October 26 and runs on every Apple TV 4K from the second generation on, in English only, in Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, the UK and the US. The home's owner in the Home app also needs an Apple Intelligence iPhone or iPad with Siri AI turned on, and Siri AI is not initially available on iPhone or iPad in the EU. Households in Germany and the rest of the EU get no Siri AI on any Apple TV for now. If you own a second-generation or later box, update it and try the beta before deciding.

The 2017 first generation: retire it as your hub

Apple released tvOS 27 on September 14, 2026 for the second-generation Apple TV 4K and later. The first generation stays on tvOS 26: Apple shipped tvOS 26.6.1 for it and the Apple TV HD on October 26, so it still gets tvOS 26 updates, but none of tvOS 27's features and no Siri AI. It also lacks Thread, HDR10+ and HDMI 2.1.

As a home hub it is now the weak link. It can still run Apple Home automations for Wi-Fi Matter devices and bridges, but it cannot be the Thread hub for locks, sensors and other Matter-over-Thread accessories. Apple has not said whether a hub left on tvOS 26 will support every iOS 27 Home feature, which makes it a poor choice as the only hub in a home that is still adding accessories.

If it runs your main TV, the new Apple TV 4K replaces both jobs in one box. If the TV picture is fine and you only need a better hub, a HomePod mini or second-generation HomePod you already own does that job. Otherwise buy HomePod mini 2. You can keep the old box as a streamer either way. In the Home app's Home Hubs & Bridges screen, turn off Automatic Selection and choose the newer device as the preferred hub.

The 2021 second generation: keep it for the house

The second generation is still on Apple's list of Thread-enabled home hubs, runs tvOS 27 and gets the Siri AI beta. It has Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi 6 and HDMI 2.1 with eARC. Apple has announced no Apple Home feature other than hands-free voice that needs the new box.

The gaps are on the TV side. It lacks HDR10+, an AV1 decoder and four-HomePod surround. The HDR10+ gap matters most if your TV supports HDR10+ but not Dolby Vision. Its Lightning-charged remote is the most dated part. A new Siri Remote costs $59 in the US and works with every Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K. It can play a sound so you can find it, and adds Precision Finding with an iPhone Air, iPhone Duo or iPhone 17 or later, excluding the iPhone 17e. Find My already works with the second-generation Siri Remote, the one this box shipped with.

Upgrade if HDR10+, a faster chip for games, surround or hands-free voice justifies the cost. If the remote is the only complaint, buy the remote.

The 2022 64 GB Wi-Fi model: fine for TV, wrong for Thread

The 64 GB model shares the 128 GB model's A15, HDR10+, tvOS 27 and Siri AI support. It has no Thread radio and no Ethernet port. In a home with only Wi-Fi Matter devices and bridges it can still be the home hub. The first Matter-over-Thread lock or sensor needs a Thread border router, which this box lacks. Apple Home accepts a Thread-enabled home hub or a compatible third-party border router for that accessory's automations, notifications and remote control.

Fix the hub without touching the TV. A HomePod mini of either generation or a second-generation HomePod already in the home is a Thread border router, so you may need nothing new. Otherwise HomePod mini 2 does the job for about half the new Apple TV's price. Buy the new Apple TV 4K instead only if you also want its picture, voice or surround features. A leftover 128 GB third-generation box is worth it only well below the new model's price, and our review of that model covers what to check on the label.

The 2022 128 GB Wi-Fi + Ethernet model: keep it

This box already does the new model's hub work: home hub, Thread border router, Gigabit Ethernet and the Siri AI beta. Hands-free voice is the only Apple Home addition. Apple charged $249, £249 or €299 for it in September 2026. The new model costs $50, £50 or €50 more and adds the TV-side features above. Upgrade for those, or for hands-free voice in the living room, and keep it if they do not matter to you.

Ethernet helps streaming, but it is also a troubleshooting variable. If a Thread accessory refuses to pair through an Ethernet-connected Apple TV hub, Apple's Thread troubleshooting steps say to switch the Apple TV from Ethernet to the same Wi-Fi network as your iPhone.

Our report on Apple's October launches compares the new Apple TV with HomePod mini 2 and HomeView.

What each upgrade costs

Prices are from Apple's online stores on November 1, 2026. The Apple TV ships November 13, and HomePod mini 2 is on sale now.