Apple announces an Apple TV 4K with A15, HDR10+ support, and an updated Siri Remote with USB-C, starting at $129 for preorder now and shipping on November 4
here's how to preorder it David Satin / The Streamable : Apple Unveils New Generation of Apple TV 4K Devices Available Now for Preorder Tweets: Neil Cybart / @neilcybart : Apple's new/updated products: - Apple TV 4K (3rd gen): $129 (Wi-Fi) / $149 (Wi-Fi + Ethernet) - All-new 10.9-inch iPad ($449) - Updated iPad Pro with M2 chip and Apple Pencil hover (no change to $799 / $1,099 starting prices) https://twitter.com/... Joe Rossignol / @rsgnl : USB-C is nice but it's too bad the new Siri Remote didn't get a U1 chip for Find My support. Hagen Terschüren / @ausnahmsweise : @marcoarment also the 64gb apple tv doesn't have thread which is an insane decision when matter - which apple has heavily influenced - is supposed to launch this year. why the hell wouldn't they make every device a thread border router. Jason Aten / @jasonaten : And, when I say “bigger” news, I mean that Apple rarely makes a product better and lowers the price by that much. It appears that Apple still wants to seriously compete in the “device that connects to your TV” market, which wasn't always obvious before. Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / @jp2e : Does seem odd that Apple didn't put Thread in the $129 model. Steve Moser / @stevemoser : The new A15 4K Apple TV is fanless. “The efficiency gains of A15 Bionic eliminate the need for an internal fan, resulting in a more compact design and contributing to a 25 percent reduction in carbon footprint over the previous generation.” Cc @siracusa https://www.apple.com/... https://twitter.com/... @manan : Apple: we will support Thread / Matter Also Apple: we're going to make sure you pay more for that privilege. Thread is only in the Ehternet / $150+tax version. https://www.techmeme.com/... Mark Gurman / @markgurman : The Siri Remote on the Apple TV gets USB-C. Mark Gurman / @markgurman : As expected, Apple TV gets a faster chip, iPad Pro update is minimal beyond the M2, the big news is the revamped entry iPad but its price is hiked significantly to $449. The $329 model from last year remains on sale. Jason Aten / @jasonaten : Arguably the bigger news is that Apple refreshed the 4K Apple TV and lowered the price to $129 for the WiFi-only version (Ethernet and double storage is $20 more) https://www.apple.com/... Kevin Accettulla / @kevinaccettulla : What's interesting about the new Apple TV 4K is that the price has been cut to $129 for the new starting point. Mark Gurman / @markgurman : Apple has announced the new Apple TV for $129 with the A15 chip and double the storage.
Context & Ripple Effects
Apple’s 2021 refresh paired an A12 chip and redesigned remote with $179 and $199 starting prices; reviews praised the remote but called the device expensive. The new model follows that A12-based Apple TV 4K refresh with a lower $129 entry point.
The product line began as a 4K HDR device powered by A10X, then added high-frame-rate HDR in 2021. Apple is now extending the format support again while splitting Ethernet and Thread capabilities into the higher-priced configuration.
First-order effects
- Apple lowers the Apple TV 4K entry price to $129 while adding A15 performance, HDR10+ support, and USB-C charging for the Siri Remote.
- Buyers choosing the $129 Wi-Fi model forgo Ethernet and Thread, which Apple reserves for the $149 Wi-Fi-plus-Ethernet model.
Second-order effects
- The lower starting price directly addresses the premium-positioning criticism attached to the 2021 Apple TV 4K review, while preserving an upsell path for wired networking and Thread support.
- Apple’s accessory and smart-home buyers must treat connectivity as a configuration choice rather than a standard Apple TV 4K capability.
Third-order effects
- Across the original 4K HDR launch and subsequent refreshes, Apple TV 4K is becoming a more regularly updated living-room device whose price tiers distinguish media playback from home-network features.
- If Apple maintains this segmentation, Thread-enabled set-top boxes may become a premium gateway category rather than a baseline feature across Apple TV hardware.
The trend: Apple is pairing iterative media-device upgrades with lower entry prices while reserving smart-home connectivity for higher configurations.