Is The 3rd-Gen Apple TV 4K Still Worth It In 2026? Here's What You Need To Know

Introduced in late 2022, the 3rd-gen Apple TV 4K continues to be the latest set-top box sold by Apple. Among its top features, it has the A15 Bionic chip, which also powered the iPhone 13 Pro, HDR10+ support, more storage, and several new software features. Almost four years on, the experience with the third-generation Apple TV 4K is still reliable, but with ongoing rumors about a new model being released soon, it all depends on how much you want an Apple TV 4K or if you'd rather wait a few more months to get the latest model.

After all, real-life usage shows the third-generation Apple TV 4K in 2026 still does a solid job. Besides that, tvOS 26 is still built up for this product, which means there's nothing software-wise available on the Apple TV that you can't do with the latest model. Still, with rumors pointing to Apple Intelligence support, new processor, and more, there's also room to question whether it's worth it to wait a little longer to get a more interesting product, and keep it for years to come, or upgrade now.

The Apple TV 4K is one of the best devices if you're really into the Apple ecosystem. Not only is it the best way to supercharge your smart TV and make it last longer, but it also adds on the Apple perks customers know and love. It's easy to AirDrop and AirPlay content, and I have access to all Apple services, including Fitness+, which I use for yoga sessions, and Apple's underrated Arcade platform, which can be enjoyed with a third-party gaming controller.

To this day, the A15 Bionic chip is still surprisingly good, and I don't notice any throttling when moving between apps or anything regarding the general Apple TV experience. With this generation, Apple added support for HDR10+, in addition to support for Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital 7.1, and Dolby Digital 5.1. The only downside of this Apple TV 4K is that it still doesn't support 4K120Hz, even though it features an HDMI 2.1 port.

Over the years, Apple continued to tweak the experience of the Apple TV, as Liquid Glass looks beautiful on a big screen, and I can FaceTime friends from my TV, use Apple Music Sing, and other perks exclusive to this model. It's also important to note that the Apple TV costs $129, but since it's been on the market for a while, it's always possible to find good deals for this powerful device.

Rumors suggest Apple is going to jump from the A15 Bionic to the A17 Pro, which is the same processor in the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPad mini. While this chip would be enough to bring another huge spec bump to the Apple TV, this would likely mean Apple is readying at least 8 GB of RAM for the set-top box, bringing Apple Intelligence to the platform.

Apple hasn't announced a new Apple TV yet, which is likely due to the new Siri delay, as it will play a fundamental role on tvOS, and also with all the upcoming smart home devices Apple is planning to release. Other changes could include Apple's N1 chip, which could bring Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 support. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (via Stuff) already talked about the price point, saying that a price under $100 could be the "sweet spot," but Apple might decide to offer more storage and maintain a similar price point.

The reason to wait for a new Apple TV 4K, besides the improved hardware, is the Apple Intelligence support. If Apple is truly able to make Siri conversational, controlling the Apple TV will look a lot different than it currently is, especially when asking about a TV show, movie, or live stream. Fortunately, all might be revealed by June with WWDC 2026. Still, if you don't feel like waiting, the current model will continue to work just fine for the years to come.