Apple's new Apple TV 4K costs $299. That's exactly what HomeView, Apple's first smart display, costs, and both were announced today at the "Welcome Home" event. Both open for pre-order today and ship November 13.
The fourth-generation Apple TV 4K gets an A19 chip (Apple claims up to 50% faster CPU and 2x faster GPU than the A15 model), three far-field microphones for hands-free Siri AI, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and a Siri Remote with Find My. There's one model, with 128GB and Gigabit Ethernet. The 2022 Apple TV 4K launched at $129 and $149, so this is more than double the old entry price.
HomeView, for the same money, gives you a 7-inch screen, an A18 chip, a 12MP Center Stage camera, a built-in speaker (the tabletop version adds a woofer), and face recognition for up to six people.
At $299, HomeView is the better buy for most people. The Apple TV's upgrades are real, but its big new trick is microphones, which HomeView also has, along with a screen, a camera and a speaker. If your current Apple TV 4K streams fine, nothing here forces an upgrade. Home theater people who want surround sound with four HomePods are the exception.
The matching price looks deliberate. Apple wants Siri AI in every room and is pricing its home hardware as one family, with the Apple TV repositioned as a home hub that also streams. That works for Apple. For anyone shopping for a $299 streaming box, it's a lot to pay.
— via Apple Newsroom, The Verge, MacRumors