Ahead of Tuesday's "Welcome Home" event, anticipation is building for updates to the Apple TV 4K.
While the 2022 model remains at a $200 price point, technical discussions have highlighted gaps in current functionality compared to the wider streaming hardware market, specifically regarding hands-free voice control, HDMI pass-through, and networking standards like Wi-Fi 6E.
We explore the current state of the platform and the hardware features most requested by the community.
The device is currently priced at $200, after a $70 price increase that took effect in June 2026 due to the increased cost of memory and storage. This price is considered high, especially when compared to competing devices.
Voice control without a remote control
Today, a user has to press a button on the remote to use Siri. In contrast, devices like the Roku Ultra and Fire TV Cube already offer hands-free voice control capabilities, allowing the device to listen for commands from across the room.
Equipment upgrade
Users find the extra $50 for the Ethernet port to be restrictive, but suggest the inclusion of Wi-Fi 6E technology, which would offer significantly better performance in homes with multiple wireless networks running simultaneously.
Connecting other devices
One feature that the competition, such as the Fire TV Cube, has is the ability to connect other devices directly through the media streamer. This feature allows devices like game consoles to be connected so that the user can manage their TV content more easily, without having to constantly change input settings on the TV.
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