For years, the Apple TV 4K was one of the cheapest ways into Apple’s world. That changed on Oct. 13, when Apple unveiled a new model that comes in a single version and costs $299, more than double the $129 starting price the box carried earlier this year.
The reaction has been rough, even among Apple loyalists. Some longtime owners say the new box costs so much that they plan to pass on it and keep using the ones they already have.
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How the Apple TV got so expensive
The jump didn’t happen overnight. The previous Apple TV 4K came out in 2022 and started at $129, while the version with Ethernet and 128GB of storage cost $149. Apple later raised the price of that model to $249, as reported by MacRumors.
The new lineup is also simpler. There is now just one configuration, with 128GB of storage, Wi-Fi 7 and an Ethernet port. Before it, Apple sold two versions that were most recently priced at $199 and $249 following an earlier increase, MacRumors reported.
Apple pinned the blame on the AI boom. In a statement shared with MacRumors, the company said data centers are buying up so much memory and storage that chip prices have spiked, and that it could no longer keep absorbing the cost.
This isn’t the first time Apple has used that explanation. In June, it raised prices on several Macs and iPads, and a spokesperson said the company had “never seen a component price increase this much, this quickly.” Apple said it had shielded customers for as long as it could before deciding to start raising prices.
The new Apple TV model costs $299.Kevin Winter / Getty Images
What the $299 is actually worth
Apple is betting new features will soften the blow.
The box runs on the A19 chip, which Apple says delivers up to 50% faster CPU performance than the older A15 model. It also brings Siri AI, the rebuilt assistant powered by Apple Intelligence. Requests that draw on personal context still need a paired iPhone or iPad that supports Apple Intelligence, MacRumors reported.
For the first time, you can talk to an Apple TV without grabbing the remote. The new model has three built-in microphones, while older boxes needed the remote or a connected HomePod.
The redesigned remote also has a speaker and works with Find My, so it can chime when it gets lost in the couch.
There is a catch for home theater fans. The new box can power a four-speaker surround setup, but only with the new HomePod mini 2 or the second-generation HomePod, and the front and rear pairs have to match.
Pre-orders opened the day Apple announced it, and the box goes on sale on Nov. 13.
Siri AI is the bigger story for Apple overall. It began rolling out on the iPhone with iOS 27 on Sept. 14 as an opt-in beta that can search your texts, emails, and calendar to answer questions.
“As your personal hub, your iPhone can do so much more for you because it understands your context,” CEO John Ternus said, as reported by TheStreet.
Why loyal Apple fans are balking
Some of the loudest pushback has come from Apple’s own community. One user on the r/appletv subreddit asked whether anyone planned to pay $300 for the new box, writing that “[It’s] obvious now that Apple believes they can increase the costs of their products by a lot and still make a killing on them from their loyal fans.”
Reviewers are noticing too. The new model is “the most expensive Apple TV box the company has ever wanted to shove in front of your television,” Gizmodo wrote.
At $299, it costs just under $150 more than a Google TV Streamer and the same as Nvidia’s Shield Pro.
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The memory squeeze is spreading across Apple’s lineup. Apple raised the starting prices of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max by $100 earlier in 2026, and TrendForce has warned that AI servers are crowding out memory capacity, with shortages and price increases possibly lasting into 2027. An earlier TrendForce estimate found a popular smartphone memory setup had nearly quadrupled in price in a year.
Tim Cook, who was still CEO at the time, warned this was coming.
“Unfortunately, price increases are unavoidable,” he told The Wall Street Journal in June, adding that he had “never seen anything like it in any area in over 40 years”.
Who should actually upgrade
If you already own a 2021 or 2022 Apple TV 4K, there is little reason to rush. Those models are getting Siri AI through a software update, while the 2017 model and the Apple TV HD are not.
Roku and Google also raised prices this year, but the Roku Ultra and Google TV Streamer still cost $149.
The new box makes more sense for people building out an Apple smart home. Apple also launched its HomeView hub on Oct. 13, a 7-inch display that controls lights, locks and thermostats and works with Apple Home and Matter accessories. The company teamed up with LG and Schneider Electric on new locks, thermostats and cameras, Yahoo Finance reported.
In the end, Siri has to prove it is worth the money. Apple said in January that it had more than 2.5 billion active devices. Getting people to pay up for new home hardware will depend on whether the assistant can deliver.
For now, plenty of fans are happy to wait.
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