Why You Should Wait for the Upcoming Apple TV Pro Instead of Buying Now

Don't Buy the Current Apple TV – Here's What's Coming

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported in late July that a next-generation Apple TV is "nearly ready to launch" as part of Apple's broader smart home push, with September or October looking likely for an unveiling. For a streaming box that's still running the A15 Bionic from the iPhone 13, waiting a few weeks is the smartest move you can make.

The Upgrade That Actually Matters

The new model is expected to jump to the A17 Pro chip — the same processor that powered the iPhone 15 Pro and currently runs the iPad mini. Yes, it's still not cutting-edge silicon, but here's the key detail: it's the oldest chip in Apple's lineup capable of running Apple Intelligence. References found in Apple's software code point to this chip specifically, which suggests the company wants to bring its AI-powered Siri overhaul to the living room without blowing up the price tag.

The current model got a $70/£100 price hike despite zero hardware changes — from $129/£149 at launch to $199/£249 today. That's paying premium money for a processor that's now four generations old in iPhone terms. The A17 Pro brings hardware-accelerated ray tracing, a meaningful GPU bump, and AV1 decoding support. For cord-cutters who care about future-proofing their setup, that's a significant leap.

The Siri Remote Finally Gets Attention

Multiple sources, including code findings from the macOS 26.7 release candidate, indicate the new Apple TV will ship with a revamped Siri Remote. Details on specific improvements are still scarce, but the remote has been one of the most-requested upgrades among Apple TV users for years. If you've ever wrestled with the touchpad's oversensitive swiping, this alone might justify the wait.

Apple's N1 wireless chip is also expected to make the jump, the same connectivity hardware first seen on the iPhone Air and iPhone 17 line. For a device that streams everything over Wi-Fi, that's not a trivial spec bump.

What Isn't Changing

Here's where I temper expectations: don't hold out for a radical redesign. Reports suggest the next Apple TV will keep the same black squircle form factor and palm-sized footprint. No stick-style dongle like Amazon's Fire TV lineup — Apple apparently isn't interested in that route. You're waiting for guts, not looks.

The hold-up, according to reporting, has been Siri. Apple's overhauled AI assistant is finally arriving with iOS 27, and the new Apple TV launch appears tied to that rollout. It's the missing piece that explains why the box has been sitting finished in a drawer somewhere in Cupertino, waiting for the software to catch up.

The Bottom Line

If you need a streaming box today, the current Apple TV 4K still works fine — it's just terrible value at $199. If you can hold out through September, you're likely looking at a substantially more capable machine with Apple Intelligence support, a better remote, and modern wireless connectivity. The price may or may not drop back down, but at minimum, you'll have the option to grab the current model at a discount once the new one lands. Either way, August 2026 is not the month to buy an Apple TV.