New Apple TV 4K costs $299, over twice its 2022 price

Apple’s new HomeView smart display and fourth-generation Apple TV 4K go on sale today. Each costs $299. That makes the streaming box far more costly than the model Apple launched in 2022. Both have been on pre-order since mid-October.

HomeView is a 7-inch smart display. It comes as a tabletop unit or a wall-mounted unit, and both cost the same. It runs Siri AI, and it can recognise up to six people by face. Each person gets a personal home screen. HomeView also handles FaceTime calls, Apple Home controls and video.

The new Apple TV 4K uses the A19 chip and has 128GB of storage. It has Siri AI and an updated Siri Remote with Find My. It also supports four-speaker surround sound with the new HomePod mini. That speaker has an S10 chip, a glowing top and a $149 price tag.

Every new Apple TV can act as a full home hub. The cheaper older model lacked Ethernet and Thread.

Apple TV 4K launched in 2022 at $129. Apple raised the starting price to $199 in June, citing a memory chip shortage. Now it starts at $299. That is 2.3 times the original price.

The HomePod mini follows the same path. It cost $99 at launch, and the new model costs $149. A HomeView repair costs $279, only $20 less than the device itself.

Apple has not said how much of the rise comes from memory costs. The new box does add a faster chip and Siri AI. Rival streaming boxes still cost far less.

Apple lists eight launch markets: the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa and India. HomeView supports English only at launch. Apple has not said when more languages will follow.

The EU is missing. Apple says it is working constructively with the EU to find a path forward, but it has not given a date. Pre-orders opened on October 13, and some delivery dates slipped past launch day soon after. The UK price is £299.

Apple’s Home Collection accessories arrive in December. They are made with LG and Schneider Electric. LG’s video doorbell costs $249.95, its smart deadbolt costs $349.95 and the thermostats cost $199.95. Pre-orders for these have not opened yet.

If you own the 2022 Apple TV 4K, the upgrade case is thin unless you want Siri AI and the faster chip. Apple has not announced wider international availability for either device. IT Home also reports that Apple released HomeView software 27.2 on launch day.