Apple agrees to $250 million settlement over delayed AI-powered Siri
The proposed deal covers owners who purchased devices expecting the feature in 2024, though Apple is not required to admit fault.
Apple has agreed to pay $250 million to settle a US class action lawsuit alleging the company misled iPhone buyers regarding the launch timeline of its AI-powered Siri. The agreement resolves claims that marketing campaigns created a clear and reasonable expectation that the updated assistant would be functional at the time of purchase for specific device lineups.
The settlement specifically covers owners of the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 16 who bought their devices between June 10, 2024, and March 29, 2025. These consumers purchased the phones expecting the feature to be available immediately, despite the original promise made at WWDC 2024. Although Apple showcased the personalised Siri at the event, the update failed to ship until later in 2025, with the new version reportedly arriving in iOS 27 via a partnership with Google.
Eligible claimants may receive up to $95 per device, though the exact payout is contingent on the total volume of claims filed and could range as low as $25. The legal dispute centres on the assertion that advertising efforts, including campaigns featuring actor Bella Ramsey, led buyers to believe the capabilities were ready upon purchase. Prior to the settlement, the National Advertising Division had already recommended that Apple discontinue or modify its "available now" claim for Apple Intelligence on its website.
Notably, the proposed settlement does not require Apple to admit fault for the advertising delays. The company had previously removed ads showcasing the new Siri feature after acknowledging the friction between the marketing and the product reality. The delayed update, which is designed to understand device context and take action in apps, was pushed back to March 2025, over five months after the iPhone 16 launch.
The new Siri functionality is expected to roll out later this year through iOS 27, relying on a collaboration with Google's Gemini models. This development marks a significant shift for the tech giant, which had slowly rolled out other components of the text editing and image generation features pitched as Apple Intelligence throughout 2024 and 2025. However, the core Siri update that could act on behalf of the user never arrived on the promised schedule.
The proposed settlement must still be approved by a judge before it becomes final. While the Financial Times reports the agreement as a resolution to the California lawsuit, the specific timeline for the full rollout of the new Siri remains reported rather than officially confirmed in this context. The deal represents a financial conclusion to the legal battle over consumer expectations regarding the delivery of promised artificial intelligence features.
