Apple is planning to release a new Apple TV 4K and an updated HomePod mini this fall, with both devices built around faster processors designed to support the more personalized version of Siri arriving with iOS 27 in September. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported today that the hardware for both products has been finished for months and is already in active use by employees at Apple’s Cupertino headquarters.
Apple has been sitting on these devices pending the launch of its revamped Siri, which is expected to ship with iOS 27 in September. With Siri AI arriving first in software, the hardware should follow shortly after, likely in the same window as the new iPhone lineup.
Apple TV 4K
The current Apple TV 4K launched in October 2022, making it nearly four years old. The new model is expected to use the A17 Pro chip, first introduced in the iPhone 15 Pro models, which would give it enough local processing headroom to run Apple Intelligence. Alongside the A17 Pro, the device is expected to include Apple’s N1 chip, adding Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread support. An updated Siri Remote may also accompany the release, though that detail remains less certain.
As per Gurman, we shouldn’t expect much in terms of new features beyond the chip upgrade. No redesign is coming and the form factor stays the same. Given that the current model already costs $199 for 64GB storage or $249 for the version with 128GB, an Ethernet port, and Thread support after a significant price increase last month, the A17 Pro and Siri AI integration are carrying a lot of weight as the primary justifications for an upgrade.
HomePod mini
The HomePod mini has had an even longer wait, having gone untouched since its October 2020 launch. The updated model is expected to use to be built around Apple Watch’s S9 chip or a newer variant. Previously reported features include the N1 chip, an upgraded Ultra Wideband chip, improved sound quality, and new color options including a red finish.
The chip bump matters here in a more tangible way than on the TV side. A faster processor could improve audio processing and sound quality, and an upgraded Ultra Wideband chip would enable better spatial awareness and connectivity features within the home. The HomePod mini will also gain the updated Siri, making it substantially more capable for tasks like music recommendations and smart home control than the current model. It currently sells for $129, up from $99 before last month’s price increase.
Neither device is getting a redesign and Apple’s position seems to be that the enclosures are fine and the real update is what’s running inside them. That’s a reasonable argument for the HomePod mini, which still looks good six years in, but harder to sustain for the Apple TV box at its new price point when the headline upgrade is a chip that first appeared in 2023 iPhones.
Both products were already expensive for what they offered before last month’s price increases, and Apple is now asking buyers to wait a little longer and pay more for chip upgrades that primarily exist to run software still rolling out. Whether that trade-off works depends almost entirely on how good the new Siri actually turns out to be in day-to-day use.
