If you’ve been patiently waiting for Apple to release a new Apple TV 4K to upgrade to, there’s a good chance you might be waiting a lot longer.

For years, rumors have suggested a refreshed version of the Apple TV 4K is coming soon, but it has never materialized. Many believed 2025 would finally be the year Apple unveiled it, yet the year came and went without any announcement. And one possible reason it hasn’t launched could be tied to something Apple has been struggling with since 2024: Siri and Apple Intelligence.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple has been working on an updated version of the Apple TV 4K. However, he reports that it’s “tied to new artificial intelligence features,” which have reportedly been delayed until iOS 27 in the fall, alongside the launch of the iPhone 18 Pro.

Apple initially targeted a spring launch of iOS 26.4 to introduce its revamped Siri and new Apple Intelligence features. But the company has reportedly “run into snags” during testing once again, pushing the rollout back. Some parts could now arrive with iOS 26.5, with the full feature set possibly not landing until iOS 27.

So, with Apple reportedly delaying its new Apple Intelligence features and revamped Siri until the fall, it seems likely the new Apple TV 4K, which will rely on them, has been delayed as well.

Brand

Apple

Bluetooth codecs

5.0

Wi-Fi

6

Ethernet

Gigabit (128GB model only)

It’s not just the new Apple TV 4K that might be delayed

Apple’s smart home ambitions have also reportedly been impacted

The last time Apple upgraded the Apple TV 4K was back in 2022, so this refresh has been a long time in the making. But the new Apple TV 4K isn’t the only piece of hardware affected by all these internal delays due to Apple’s struggles with AI.

Apple has also reportedly been working on a new smart home display that uses the new Siri, similar to the Google Nest Hub or Amazon Echo Show. It was originally set to launch in the spring of 2025, but Apple’s delayed Siri revamp pushed it back. It’s now not set to launch until later this year, likely not until tvOS 27 is out, according to Bloomberg.

Additionally, a new HomePod is reportedly in the works, but, like the new Apple TV 4K, Gurman reports that it’s “tied to new artificial intelligence features,” so once again, it’s likely been pushed back as well.

What upgrades could the new Apple TV 4K have?

Performance and networking are expected to be the two main areas for improvement

Despite the long wait, the new Apple TV 4K has some promising rumored upgrades in store that could make the extended wait worth it, beyond its support for Apple Intelligence and the new Siri.

For starters, it’s long been rumored to be powered by Apple’s A17 Pro chipset, which debuted in the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max in 2023. Even though this chipset will be a few years old by the time the new Apple TV 4K launches, it’s still extremely powerful for a streamer and a decent upgrade over the A15 Bionic chip found in the current third-gen Apple TV 4K.

While the A17 Pro chip is still just a rumor, considering that Apple Intelligence and the new Siri are reportedly key software features of the upcoming Apple TV 4K, it seems likely that this is the chip Apple would choose, especially since it’s the first chip capable of supporting Apple Intelligence.

Another rumored upgrade to the new Apple TV 4K could be Apple’s N1 networking chip, which supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 and debuted in the iPhone 17 and iPhone Air last fall. The third-gen Apple TV 4K supports Wi-Fi 6, so Wi-Fi 7 would enable faster networking speeds and lower latency.

All in all, if you’ve been thinking about picking up an Apple TV 4K but were holding out for a new version to arrive soon, you may be waiting a while longer due to ongoing delays with Siri and Apple Intelligence.

That said, if you don’t care about the new Siri and Apple Intelligence, the current third-gen Apple TV 4K is still one of the best streaming devices around, and well worth picking up if you need a new streamer right now.