Apple announced the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K on October 13, 2026. It comes in a single 128GB configuration for $299 in the US and ₩449,000 in Korea, and ships on November 13. If all you want is Netflix and YouTube on a TV, an Amazon Fire TV Stick or a Google device looks like enough for far less money. The 'Google TV stick' many people picture, Chromecast with Google TV, went out of production in 2024, so this comparison uses the device Google sells now: the Google TV Streamer. It is a research comparison based on Apple, Amazon and Google product pages, stores, press releases and support documents checked on October 13, 2026. I have not measured picture quality, menu speed or remote handling, and the new Apple TV 4K is not yet on sale. The photos show earlier-generation devices.
Decide first: which country will it live in?
If you are buying in Korea, the list shrinks quickly. Apple's Korean store takes pre-orders for the new Apple TV 4K from 10 a.m. on October 15, with release on November 13, and the Korean product page highlights TVING, Wavve, Disney+, Netflix, Prime Video and SK Broadband channels. Amazon's list of supported Fire TV countries does not include Korea. The Google Store does not sell the Google TV Streamer in Korea, and the only streaming device on Google Korea's official import list is the 2019 Chromecast.
In the US all three are easy to buy. On October 13 the official stores listed the Apple TV 4K at $299, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max at $84.99 and the Google TV Streamer at $149.99. All three handle 4K with Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, HLG and Dolby Atmos, so picture formats no longer separate them. What does is the whole price, the assistant's language and whether the box beside the TV also runs your smart home.
Apple TV 4K (4th generation): what the higher price buys
The new model uses an A19 chip; Apple says its testing with pre-production units showed up to 50% faster CPU and up to twice the GPU performance of the third generation. It adds an AV1 decoder, and every unit has 128GB of storage, Wi-Fi 7, Gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth 6 and Thread. Video goes up to 2160p at 60 fps with Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+ and HLG, and audio includes Dolby Atmos. Three far-field microphones are new, and the included fourth-generation Siri Remote can be located with Find My.
The price has jumped. The third generation started at $129 in the US in 2022; the fourth comes in one $299 configuration, and you still need your own HDMI cable. In exchange you get four-HomePod surround sound, which works only with this model. There is no camera, so FaceTime uses an iPhone or iPad as the camera. Within an Apple home it acts as a home hub for Matter accessories and processes HomeKit Secure Video locally.
Siri AI alone is not a reason to upgrade. It arrives as a tvOS 27.2 beta on the Apple TV 4K (2nd generation) and later, in English and in eight countries at first. Apple's Korean press release and product page leave Siri AI out. The classic Siri works in Korean when you press the remote button, but according to a footnote on Apple's US page, hands-free Siri through the far-field microphones is not supported when tvOS is set to Korean. If you already own a second- or third-generation model, ask whether you need the A19, AV1, far-field mics, Wi-Fi 7 or HomePod surround.
Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Gen): the cheapest with the formats
Among Amazon's sticks, the one to set against an Apple TV 4K is the Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Gen) from 2023, listed at $84.99 on amazon.com on October 13. It supports 2160p at 60 fps with Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, HLG and Dolby Atmos, plus Wi-Fi 6E and 16GB of storage, and runs the Android-based Fire OS 8. It plugs straight into the TV, so no HDMI cable is needed, and it supports the Ambient Experience for art and photos and Alexa Home Theater with Echo speakers.
Its assistant is Alexa+. Amazon says that since August 19, 2026, US customers with compatible Fire TV devices get Alexa+ regardless of Prime, though features such as routines, and Alexa+ on Echo devices, need Prime or the Standard plan. It requires a US account set to US English. You talk by pressing the remote's button; hands-free Alexa is only available on the Fire TV Cube.
One trap: Amazon's newest stick, the Fire TV Stick 4K (3rd Gen, $59.99, released September 30), runs the new Vega OS, has no Dolby Vision, only passes Dolby Atmos through to a TV or soundbar, and installs apps from the Amazon Appstore only. The newest stick is not the best stick. The 4K Max is 2023 hardware, but Amazon promises security updates at least through December 31, 2030. Korea is not a supported Fire TV country.
Google TV Streamer: a box, not a stick, at a higher price
Google ended Chromecast production in August 2024 and replaced it with the Google TV Streamer, a box that sits on a shelf rather than a stick behind the TV. It launched at $99.99 in September 2024; on October 13 the US Google Store charged $149.99, while a Google help-page comparison still showed $99.99. It supports 4K HDR at 60 fps with Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+ and HLG, decodes Dolby Atmos itself, and has 4GB of memory, 32GB of storage and a Gigabit Ethernet port.
The Streamer doubles as a Matter hub and Thread border router. A button on the back makes the remote ring, and the remote has a customisable button for launching an app or switching inputs. Since November 10, 2025, Gemini for TV has been replacing Google Assistant, but it works in only 12 countries, Korea not among them, and AI answers appear only for profiles of users aged 18 or over.
The drawbacks are Wi-Fi and the box contents. Its Wi-Fi is 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5), the oldest standard of the three, so consider Ethernet if the router is far away. No HDMI cable is included, and Google's spec sheet asks for a certified HDMI 2.1 cable. Google promises security updates until at least September 24, 2029. The Google Store does not sell it in Korea.
Assistants and hubs: when the TV box runs the house
All three let you search by voice, but none of the new AI assistants supports Korean. Siri AI starts in English in eight countries, Alexa+ needs a US account set to US English, and Gemini for TV covers 12 countries that exclude Korea. For Korean speech in Korea, the classic Siri on the Apple TV's remote button is effectively the only official route among these three.
As smart-home hubs, the Apple TV 4K and the Google TV Streamer are clear: both include Thread and act as Matter hubs. I could not find a Thread or Matter hub entry in the Fire TV Stick 4K Max's official specifications; in Amazon's lineup, Echo devices such as the Echo Show 8 carry the Zigbee and Thread hub. If you already own HomePods or a Google Home Speaker, matching the TV box to the same company unlocks surround sound and more hub features.
Price the whole setup
On hardware alone, the Apple TV 4K costs more than three times as much as the Fire TV Stick 4K Max. The Apple TV and the Google TV Streamer also need a separately bought HDMI cable, while the Fire TV stick plugs straight in. If you already have a second- or third-generation Apple TV 4K, Siri AI arrives by update, so a new purchase pays only for the new hardware features.
Count the subscriptions too. Alexa+ gives Fire TV owners basic features free, but the full set is tied to Prime ($14.99 a month) or the $19.99 plan, and Apple says wider use of Siri AI will cost a fee in future. Most of the money you spend will go on video subscriptions, so check that the services your household uses have an app on the device you choose.
Our three picks
- The one officially sold in KoreaApple TV 4K (4th generation)
Sold in Korea at ₩449,000 with local services highlighted, and a fit for homes that use iPhones, HomePods and a Matter hub.
- Cheapest Dolby Vision stick in the USFire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Gen)
Dolby Vision, Atmos and Wi-Fi 6E for $84.99. Assumes a US account in English; Korea is not a supported country.
- Wired Ethernet and Google HomeGoogle TV Streamer
Gigabit Ethernet, 32GB and a Matter hub for Google Home households. Now $149.99 and not sold in Korea.
Side by side
| Question | Apple TV 4K (4th gen) | Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Gen) | Google TV Streamer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form and release | Box, Nov 13, 2026 | HDMI stick, 2023 | Box, Sept 2024 |
| US price (Oct 13) | $299, one configuration | $84.99 | $149.99 (launched at $99.99) |
| Korea | Officially sold, ₩449,000 | Not a supported country | Not sold by the Google Store |
| Video and audio | Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, HLG; Atmos | Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, HLG; Atmos | Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, HLG; Atmos |
| Network | Wi-Fi 7, Gigabit Ethernet | Wi-Fi 6E | Wi-Fi 5, Gigabit Ethernet |
| Storage | 128GB | 16GB | 32GB |
| Smart-home hub | Home hub, Thread and Matter | Not found in official specs | Matter hub, Thread border router |
| Assistant | Siri (Korean via remote); Siri AI English beta | Alexa+, US English | Gemini for TV; not in Korea |
| Not in the box | HDMI cable | n/a (plugs into the TV) | HDMI cable |
Where I would start
If you need a TV device you can buy and use officially in Korea, only the Apple TV 4K remains. If ₩449,000 feels steep and you already own a second- or third-generation model, remember that Siri AI is coming to those too, and decide whether the A19, AV1, far-field mics or HomePod surround are worth it. In the US, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is the cheapest way to get Dolby Vision, and the Google TV Streamer sits between the two if you also want Ethernet and a Google Home hub. Before buying, check which HDR formats your TV supports and whether you have an HDMI cable.
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