Search EN / ES
Tech

Apple agrees to pay iPhone owners $250 million for not delivering AI Siri

Apple’s $250 million settlement over vaporware AI exposes how its "Apple Intelligence" rollout became a bait-and-switch, leaving iPhone 15 Pro and 16 buyers with Siri’s stagnant NLP stack instead of the promised on-device LLMs. The payout—scaled from $25 to $95 per device—underscores the legal risk of pre-announcing speculative features tied to hardware sales cycles.

Carla W (AI-assisted) 1 min read EN

Apple has agreed to pay $250 million to settle a class action lawsuit alleging it misled customers about the availability of Apple Intelligence features on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. The settlement covers U.S. customers who purchased any model of the iPhone 16 or iPhone 15 Pro between June 10, 2024, and March 29, 2025. Eligible claimants can receive $25 per device, with potential adjustments based on claim volume and other factors, up to $95 per device, according to the Clarkson Law Firm, which filed the lawsuit [The Verge].

Overview

The lawsuit, filed in 2025, argued that Apple created a "clear and reasonable consumer expectation" that Apple Intelligence features—such as a more personalized Siri powered by on-device large language models—would be available at launch. Instead, the iPhone 16 was released in September 2024 labeled as "built for Apple Intelligence," but shipped without most of the AI capabilities demonstrated at the June 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference. Key features like advanced Siri functionality were delayed, while others, including Image Playground, Genmoji, and ChatGPT integration in Siri, were rolled out gradually over the following months.

Apple denied any wrongdoing but opted to settle to avoid prolonged litigation. In a statement, the company said it has since introduced "dozens of features" across its platforms, including Visual Intelligence, Live Translation, Writing Tools, Clean Up, and Genmoji, all with privacy protections. However, the delayed rollout of core AI functionality—particularly the promised on-device LLMs for Siri—formed the basis of the legal challenge.

What the settlement covers

The settlement resolves claims related to two specific features whose availability was misrepresented: the advanced, personalized Siri and broader Apple Intelligence capabilities marketed as immediately functional. In April 2025, the National Advertising Division recommended Apple discontinue or modify its "available now" claims on the Apple Intelligence webpage. Apple subsequently removed an advertisement featuring actor Bella Ramsey using the upgraded Siri.

Affected users must submit a claim to receive compensation. The base amount is $25 per eligible device, though the final payout may vary between $25 and $95 depending on the number of claims and other administrative factors. The settlement does not require Apple to admit fault or change its marketing practices, but it highlights the legal risks of tying speculative software features to hardware releases.

Tradeoffs

The case underscores a growing tension in the tech industry between aggressive AI feature previews and actual delivery timelines. By branding the iPhone 16 as "built for Apple Intelligence" before the software

Sources 1

  1. 01 Source https://www.theverge.com/tech/924706/apple-iphone-siri-intelligence-class-action-lawsuit-settlement
Similar Articles

More articles like this

Tech 1 min

Bumble’s paying users are slipping as it bets on an overhaul later this year

Bumble's paying user base is experiencing a significant decline, with a 21% drop in the latest quarter, as the dating app's leadership intentionally redirects resources towards a major overhaul scheduled for later this year. This strategic pivot comes as the company seeks to revamp its core offerings and reinvigorate user engagement. The exact nature of the planned changes remains unclear.
Tech 1 min

Altara secures $7M to bridge the data gap that’s slowing down physical sciences

A breakthrough in data integration is poised to accelerate the pace of physical sciences research, as Altara's $7 million funding injection fuels the development of an AI-driven platform that seamlessly unifies disparate data sources, including spreadsheets and legacy systems, to diagnose failures and optimize research and development workflows. By bridging the data gap, Altara's technology has the potential to unlock new discoveries and streamline the R&D process. This strategic investment is expected to drive innovation in fields such as materials science and engineering.
Tech 1 min

Intel is bringing a chip to every computing category at Computex. The last time it could do that, it was the company everyone was trying to catch.

Intel’s Computex 2026 lineup marks its first full-stack silicon unification since the Core 2 Duo era, extending 3 nm Panther Lake client dies into handhelds via Arc G3 and G3 Extreme GPUs—an integrated architecture play that could finally challenge Arm’s dominance in mobile form factors. With a single process node spanning laptops, desktops, and now ultra-compact devices, Intel is betting on economies of scale to reclaim its once-unassailable lead.
Tech 1 min

Lucid Motors doesn’t know how many EVs it will build this year

Lucid Motors' abrupt abandonment of production targets underscores the precarious balance between inventory management and cost-cutting in the electric vehicle sector, where bloated stockpiles can quickly become a financial liability. The company's decision to forgo quarterly projections suggests a struggle to reconcile supply chain realities with investor expectations. As Lucid's inventory levels continue to swell, the EV maker's financial trajectory hangs in the balance.
Tech 1 min

Google Home’s Gemini AI can handle more complicated requests

Google Home’s Gemini 3.1 upgrade quietly transforms the smart speaker into a true multi-step agent, parsing compound commands like “reschedule tomorrow’s 9 a.m. meeting, then text Mom the new time” without explicit sequencing. The update also patches device misidentification bugs and adds drag-and-drop event reordering—shifting from rigid voice-tree logic to a fluid, stateful task engine.
Tech 1 min

China’s humanoid robot boom faces reality check as 150 companies chase a market where only 23% of buyers are satisfied

China's humanoid robot industry is facing a reckoning as a surge in production from over 150 companies fails to meet demand, with a staggering 77% of buyers expressing dissatisfaction with their purchases, despite the sector's dominance in global shipments, which reached 90% in 2025. The market's two largest players, Unitree and AgiBot, are poised to go public, valuing them at a combined $13 billion. Morgan Stanley has doubled its delivery forecast for the Chinese market this year.