Apple TV 4K (1st generation): what it still does in Apple Home

The first Apple TV 4K went on sale in the UK on 22 September 2017, at £179 for 32GB or £199 for 64GB. Apple’s model number is A1842. Apple no longer sells it, and it no longer gets new versions of tvOS.

What it can still do

• Home hub, as Apple described it at launch. In 2017 Apple said Apple TV is “perfectly suited to act as a home hub for all of your HomeKit accessories, enabling remote access as well as automated control”.
• AirPlay 2. Apple lists it as an AirPlay 2 target for multi-room audio.

AirPlay 2 and HomeKit are different things. AirPlay 2 is how audio is sent to the box. The hub role is what runs your accessories when you are out. This Apple TV was sold as both, but one does not imply the other.

What it cannot do, and what Apple does not list

• tvOS 27. Not available for this model. Its last version is tvOS 26.6, from 27 July 2026.
• Siri AI. Apple’s Siri AI beta covers Apple TV 4K (2nd generation or later). This model is not in that range.
• The October 2026 Home update. Apple says its updated Home architecture requires every Apple device that accesses the home to use the latest software. Apple does not say how it treats a device that cannot install tvOS 27.
• Thread. Apple’s ports and interfaces list for this model does not include Thread.
• Matter. Apple does not state whether this model works as a hub for Matter accessories.
• Sensors. Apple’s specifications list none for the Apple TV itself.

In short, Apple described it as a hub, but Apple has stopped updating it. That is a reason not to rely on it as the only hub in the house.

Specifications

The A10X Fusion chip, 802.11ac Wi-Fi with MIMO and simultaneous dual band, Gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth 5.0, HDMI 2.0a and an IR receiver.

What replaces it

Apple TV 4K (4th generation), at £299. Apple lists Thread networking technology and Gigabit Ethernet for it, and Siri AI in UK English at launch as a beta.

If you want a supported hub and are happy to keep this box for watching, HomePod mini 2 at £149 is the cheapest Apple hub that lists Thread.

Specifications