Apple will pay $250 million to settle a class-action lawsuit accusing it of false advertising and unfair competition after delaying custom Siri features it promoted during the iPhone 16 launch.
Apple was accused of creating “a clear and reasonable consumer expectation that these transformative features would be available upon iPhone release” while causing “unprecedented enthusiasm” that led millions of consumers to unnecessarily upgrade their devices.
A smarter Apple Intelligence version of Siri was demonstrated at WWDC 2024, then promoted in ads and videos during the launch of the iPhone 16 in September 2024. After Apple delayed Siri Apple Intelligence features to March 2025, Apple pulled its ads, but by then they had been running for several months.
The lawsuit claimed that Apple violated consumer law by misleading consumers about the actual usefulness and performance of “Apple Intelligence,” and tricking them into purchasing a device “with features that either did not exist or were materially misrepresented.”
Apple’s $250 million payment will provide U.S. settlement class members who submit claim forms with a per-device payment of $25 for each eligible device, although this amount could increase to $95 per device if claim volume is low.
Eligible devices include iPhone 16, iPhone 16e, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max purchased between June 10, 2024 and March 29, 2025.
The settlement has received preliminary approval and notifications to those eligible to file a claim will begin receiving email notifications no later than 45 days from today.