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One day before its release, the first reviews of the new Apple TV 4K are in. Picture quality, speed, and the easy-to-find remote are well-received, but opinions are divided on two points: the price and Siri AI. The most important new feature highlighted in the reviews is missing at launch in this country.
Apple will sell the Apple TV 4K with A19 chip starting November 13th in a single 128GB configuration. It will cost $299 in the US, £299 in the UK, and €349 in Germany.
Several English-language news outlets tested the box in their own living rooms beforehand. TechRadar and 9to5Mac each used it for ten days, TechRadar with an OLED TV running the Siri AI beta.
Key Takeaways
- The reviews praise image quality, speed, and the new Siri Remote, which can be located using sound and „Where is?“
- The main criticism is directed at the price, which has increased significantly compared to its predecessor.
- Siri AI is still unreliable in the tests, especially when it comes to questions about the current program.
- The ratings range from 3 out of 5 to 8.5 out of 10.
- In Germany, the Apple TV 4K costs 349 euros; Siri AI is not available at launch.
The tests at a glance
| Test | Test duration | Rating | Key verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engadget | – | 8.5 out of 10 | Still great, but drastically more expensive |
| TechRadar | 10 days | 3.5 out of 5 | Barely noticeable improvements at twice the price |
| Tom's Guide | – | 3 out of 5 | Useful innovations, but Siri is lagging behind. |
| 9to5Mac | 10 days | – | The best streamer, but dearly bought. |
| AppleInsider | – | – | very fast, but the price is a hindrance. |
The ratings differ more than the test results. Engadget and 9to5Mac consider the Apple TV 4K the best streamer on the market, while TechRadar recommends it primarily for households with many Apple devices. The difference lies in the weight given to price.
What the tests praise
The impact of the upgrade from the A15 to the A19 varies. AppleInsider describes app opening, booting up, and video playback as almost twice as fast as with its predecessor. 9to5Mac, however, sees little difference in everyday use and considers the chip primarily a reserve for the coming years.
Picture and sound remain strong. TechRadar praises the format support with Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and HLG, the 24-frame output for movies, and the upscaling of lower-resolution content. However, according to TechRadar, picture and sound performance are unchanged compared to its predecessor.
The new Siri Remote has been unanimously well-received. It plays a sound on command and can be located using the „Find My“ feature with precise search. TechRadar highlights that the voice-activated beeping works reliably even in standby mode. It also offers surround sound via up to four HomePods, which AppleInsider describes as sounding good, and which 9to5Mac found convincing even in an awkwardly shaped room using two HomePod mini 2s.
Where the box is weak
The price is the main point of criticism. The predecessor launched in 2022 at $129 and was raised to $199 in mid-2026; the new model costs $299. A cheaper configuration is no longer available. Engadget calls the price increase drastic, while AppleInsider sees it as a deal-breaker for many.
Siri AI receives mixed reviews. While hands-free control via the three built-in far-field microphones works fairly well according to 9to5Mac, answers to questions about the current program were often inaccurate or incorrect. TechRadar reports that Siri's content recognition varies depending on the app, sometimes failing to recognize Netflix content at all, and occasionally starting the wrong episode of a TV series. Tom's Guide ranks Siri behind Gemini and Alexa+ in content search performance.
AppleInsider believes the Apple TV is still being neglected in gaming, despite the A19 offering more power.
What's left for buyers in Germany
Siri AI is launching on Apple TV as an English-language beta in eight countries, including the US and the UK. Germany, Austria, and Switzerland are not among them. This means that the very new feature that has generated the most discussion in testing, for better or for worse, is missing in these countries.
For buyers in German-speaking countries, I see this as more of a simplification. For €349, you still get a faster chip, the built-in microphones for Siri (which Apple also advertises on the German product page), the easily accessible remote, and surround sound via four HomePods. According to Apple, Siri AI will also be available on the 2021 and 2022 models, while the far-field microphones remain exclusive to the new model. Whether the upgrade from the A15 to the A19 is worthwhile therefore depends primarily on how important surround sound with HomePods is to you.
Would you spend €349 on the new Apple TV 4K, even though Siri AI is currently missing, or will you stick with your current box? Let us know in the comments which model you're currently using.
