Apple has agreed to pay $250 million to settle a class-action lawsuit accusing the company of promoting advanced AI-powered Siri features that were never delivered to millions of iPhone buyers, marking one of the most significant legal setbacks yet tied to the company's push into artificial intelligence.
The settlement, whose terms became public this week, covers an estimated 36 million eligible devices sold in the United States between June 2024 and March 2025. Depending on how many claims are submitted, qualifying consumers could receive between $25 and $95 per device after the settlement receives final court approval.
The lawsuit focused on Apple's heavily marketed "Apple Intelligence" rollout, first previewed during the company's 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference. At the time, Apple showcased what it described as a far more personalized and context-aware version of Siri capable of handling complex tasks across apps and conversations.
According to court filings brought by plaintiff Peter Landsheft in federal court in California, Apple's advertising campaign "saturated the internet, television, and other airwaves" while creating the impression that the upgraded Siri capabilities would be available alongside the launch of the iPhone 16 lineup in September 2024.
The promised overhaul never arrived.
By March 2025, Apple publicly acknowledged delays surrounding the Siri upgrade and quietly removed advertisements promoting the unreleased features. The National Advertising Division later recommended that Apple stop describing some Apple Intelligence capabilities as "available now."
As of May 2026, the personalized Siri functions remain unavailable to consumers and are now expected to launch with iOS 27, which Apple is expected to preview at WWDC on 8 June. For some customers, that means nearly a two-year wait between Apple's marketing campaign and the anticipated release of the actual product features.
Eligible consumers include U.S. buyers who purchased any of the following devices during the settlement period:
- iPhone 16
- iPhone 16 Plus
- iPhone 16 Pro
- iPhone 16 Pro Max
- iPhone 16e
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
Apple said it did not admit wrongdoing as part of the settlement agreement. In a statement, the company said it resolved the litigation "to stay focused on doing what we do best, delivering the most innovative products and services to our users."
The company also pointed to other AI tools it has already introduced under the Apple Intelligence umbrella, including Writing Tools, Visual Intelligence and Live Translation. Still, the Siri delays have increasingly become a focal point for analysts questioning whether Apple fell behind competitors in the rapidly escalating AI race.
Consumers eligible for compensation will begin receiving notices by email within 45 days of 5 May. Claimants will need to provide their Apple account details, phone number and device serial number through the official settlement website once the filing portal opens.
The final approval hearing for the settlement is scheduled for 17 June. Attorneys' fees and administrative expenses will also be paid from the settlement fund, reducing the total amount distributed directly to consumers.
