I’ve been waiting for a new Apple TV 4K, and tvOS 27 just gave me two reasons to be excited ‣ Diverse Daily

At WWDC 2026, Apple’s annual developer conference held earlier this month, the company unveiled the latest features and software updates it’s been working on for its devices, including iOS 27, macOS 27, and iPadOS 27. Though the star of the show was undoubtedly Siri AI, Apple’s highly anticipated (and long-delayed) upgraded version of Siri powered by Apple Intelligence, which promises to be much smarter and far more conversational.

However, during Apple’s hour-long WWDC keynote, tvOS 27 (the latest update for Apple TV devices) was mentioned only once, and Apple didn’t reveal much about what the update has in store for users. Given that the current third-gen Apple TV 4K, which launched in 2022, doesn’t support Apple Intelligence and lacks the power required to run Siri AI, that wasn’t too surprising.

That said, despite Apple not putting much of a spotlight on tvOS 27 at WWDC 2026, the latest developer beta release is thankfully giving us some clues about what’s coming. More importantly, it strongly suggests that a new Apple TV 4K is finally on the way — and it could arrive with some key upgrades that have me very excited to get my hands on one.

The tvOS 27 beta includes references to Siri AI

Apple is preparing for future hardware

According to Macworld, which has been digging into the developer beta for tvOS 27, the update includes code for “Apple Intelligence-related frameworks” that aren’t present in the current version of tvOS 26. This suggests Apple is likely laying the groundwork in tvOS 27 for a new Apple TV 4K capable of supporting Apple Intelligence.

Moreover, in the recently released second developer beta of tvOS 27, Macworld also spotted code references specifically related to Siri AI during the setup process for a new HomePod. The code reportedly doesn’t reveal exactly how Siri AI will work on the HomePod, but it does show that Apple appears to be working on bringing Siri AI support to both tvOS and the HomePod.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, a reliable source for Apple news, recently reported that a new Apple TV 4K and HomePod are “nearly ready to go,” but Apple has been holding off on releasing them until its new Siri launches, as it wants to use both devices to showcase what it’s capable of. With that in mind, it would make sense for Apple to start preparing for these devices in tvOS 27 to support new features, even if the current Apple TV 4K and HomePod won’t support them.

With Siri AI set to launch in beta this fall alongside iOS 27, there’s a good chance Apple could finally release its new Apple TV 4K before the end of the year. If I had to make an educated guess, given that Apple typically reserves September for its new software releases and iPhone launches, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see the new Apple TV 4K and HomePod arrive sometime in October or November, just ahead of the holidays.

A key hardware upgrade is also hinted at in tvOS 27

The new Apple TV 4K could have Wi-Fi 7

In addition to finding references to Apple Intelligence and Siri in the tvOS 27 beta, Macworld also spotted references in the code to N1, Apple’s custom wireless networking chip that supports both Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.

Currently, the N1 chip is only found in the iPhone 17 series, the latest iPad Pro M5, and the iPad Air M4. Given that it’s referenced in the tvOS 27 beta, this hints that the new Apple TV 4K may feature this chipset, which lines up with past rumors.

While it’s not mentioned anywhere in the tvOS 27 beta, another long-running rumor surrounding the new Apple TV 4K is that it will feature an upgraded chipset, with leaks suggesting it could be the A17 Pro. The A17 Pro first debuted in 2023 with the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, and since it was also the first iPhone chip to support Apple Intelligence, it would make sense for Apple to use it in a new Apple TV 4K to support Apple Intelligence and the new Siri experience.

Overall, it’s exciting to see references to Apple Intelligence, Siri AI, and the N1 chip in the tvOS 27 beta, and it’s just another reason to be hopeful that a new Apple TV 4K could finally launch this fall. It’s been nearly four years since the last Apple TV 4K was released in 2022, so if you’ve been patiently waiting to upgrade, as I have, hopefully the wait won’t be much longer.