Ever since Apple released its last Apple TV 4K back in 2022, there has been a flood of rumors about when the next model would eventually launch. At one point, a 2025 launch seemed likely, and there were months of speculation and leaks that it would happen, but it never did. Now, rumors point to 2026 as the year the new Apple TV 4K will finally launch. However, recent developments at Apple have me worried that we won’t actually see it anytime soon, and it all comes down to one key factor: Siri.
Back in November, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that the Apple TV 4K is set to get “new chips and in-house wireless components,” and if it didn’t launch in 2025, it “shouldn’t be far off.” But there’s another important detail: Gurman noted that Apple is tying the new Apple TV 4K to its updated Siri, with the device expected to “help showcase the new Siri and Apple Intelligence features” that Apple has long planned to roll out this year.
While Apple hasn’t publicly stated an exact release date for its updated Siri, other than broadly saying 2026, it’s long been reported that the Cupertino-based company was aiming for its new Siri to launch alongside iOS 26.4, likely coming in March.
However, Bloomberg recently reported that Apple has “run into snags” while testing its new Siri, and that it could be pushed back even further, with parts of it potentially launching with iOS 26.5 now instead, and even with iOS 27, which is expected to arrive in the fall.
Admittedly, I wasn’t surprised by this news, as Apple has been struggling to get its new Siri ready since it debuted at WWDC 2024 nearly two years ago. But as someone who has been eagerly awaiting the new Apple TV 4K, my immediate concern was that this Siri delay could mean the next-generation Apple TV 4K has been pushed back as well.
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Apple
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5.0
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6
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Gigabit (128GB model only)
The next Apple TV 4K could have two major upgrades
Support for Apple Intelligence is one of them
One major leak about the new Apple TV 4K that garnered a lot of attention last year was that it could be powered by Apple’s A17 Pro chipset, which first debuted in the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max in 2023.
While this would be a significant performance upgrade over the A15 Bionic chip in the current Apple TV 4K, one key feature of the A17 Pro offers a clear hint at what the new Apple TV 4K might be capable of: support for Apple Intelligence.
When Apple Intelligence debuted in 2024, the minimum requirement was the A17 Pro chip, found in the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, which has since been used in the iPad Mini as well. With more and more streaming platforms now supporting some form of AI, whether it’s Fire TV with Alexa+, Google TV with Gemini, or Roku with its AI-enhanced voice assistant, it would make sense for Apple to do the same and bring Apple Intelligence to the new Apple TV 4K.
As for what Apple Intelligence and Siri on the new Apple TV 4K could look like, I imagine it would be a Siri that helps you navigate your TV, change settings, and find something to watch, similar to what Gemini and Alexa+ can do.
As I mentioned earlier, based on Mark Gurman’s reporting, a reputable source for Apple leaks, it certainly seems that one of the new Apple TV 4K’s headline features will be support for Apple Intelligence, which makes the use of the A17 Pro increasingly likely.
As for what Apple Intelligence and Siri on the new Apple TV 4K could look like, I imagine it would be a Siri that helps you navigate your TV, change settings, and find something to watch, similar to what Gemini and Alexa+ can do. Again, this isn’t confirmed by Apple and is my speculation.
Siri’s delay could directly affect the new Apple TV 4K
You might have to hold on to your current Apple TV 4K for a little longer
So if Apple has delayed its updated Siri once again, as Bloomberg reports, and if the new Apple TV 4K is meant to showcase Apple’s upgraded Siri, I fear that Siri’s delay will affect the new Apple TV 4K as well.
I want to be clear that this is speculation on my part, but given all the reporting about some of Siri’s new AI features being delayed, I just can’t see how it wouldn’t affect the chances of a new Apple TV 4K launching soon. That’s on top of other major concerns right now, like the ongoing RAM and memory shortages, which could be affecting Apple’s desire to launch a new Apple TV 4K as well.
…I genuinely hope I’m wrong about this and that a new Apple TV 4K launches sooner rather than later…
All in all, I genuinely hope I’m wrong about this and that a new Apple TV 4K launches sooner rather than later, even if the new Siri isn’t fully ready yet. However, I just can’t help but feel that, without Siri being ready and with the ongoing RAM and memory shortages, Apple may opt to delay launching a new Apple TV 4K for the foreseeable future.
In all fairness, despite its age, the current-generation Apple TV 4K from 2022 still packs a punch in 2026, and the A15 Bionic chip inside it is still leaps and bounds better than what most streaming devices have, such as the Roku Ultra, Fire TV Cube, and Google TV Streamer. So it’s not like the current model is struggling in any way.
Apple is set to host an ” Apple Experience” event on March 4, where it’s expected to debut the new iPhone 17e, along with possibly new Macs and iPads. Perhaps we might hear more about a new Apple TV 4K then and when it may be coming, but I’m trying not to get my hopes up.
