My 2017 Apple TV 4K is now officially considered a vintage product, and I'm ready for its replacement. Apple adds products to its vintage list when they were last sold more than five years ago but less than seven years ago. That status can make parts harder to find if a repair is needed. As of October 9, 2026, the 2017 model has been added to that list, confirming what I already suspected: the device was showing its age and was due for an upgrade.
Years of lackluster Apple TV hardware updates left me waiting for something new and exciting. With a fourth-generation Apple TV 4K rumored to be days away, I'm eager to see what Apple has been developing. The rumors suggest the new model will look much like the old one and run tvOS, like every Apple TV 4K before it. Still, as the owner of a nearly decade-old box, I have key features I want to try.
Living with a 9-year-old Apple TV 4K shows how limited the original has become. Its Siri Remote, with the large glass touch surface, was frustrating in 2017 and remains so today. Apple dropped that design with the second generation for good reason. The original was still impressive when it launched. It was the first Apple TV to support 4K video, powered by an A10X Fusion chip from the iPad Pros of the time, with 32GB and 64GB storage options, HDMI 2.0a with Dolby Vision and HDR10, Gigabit Ethernet, and dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi.
The Siri Remote is my biggest reason to upgrade. I could buy a newer remote for my current box, but at $59 I can't justify it while the old one still mostly works. Our current remote is cracked, and seeking through movies makes me want to throw it at the TV. A new Apple TV 4K would solve that problem, and the new model can't arrive soon enough.
Source: AppleInsider · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing