- Apple agreed to settle a lawsuit linked to delayed Siri AI features.
- The case covered around 36 million eligible iPhones in the US.
- Consumers could receive up to £70 per approved claim.
Apple has agreed to pay around £185m ($250m) to settle a class-action lawsuit accusing the company of misleading customers over artificial intelligence features promised for Siri and newer iPhones.
The case centres on Apple’s heavily promoted AI-powered Siri upgrades, unveiled during its 2024 developer conference as part of its broader “Apple Intelligence” push. Plaintiffs claimed the company marketed advanced AI capabilities that either did not exist at the time or were significantly delayed, despite being used to help drive iPhone sales.
According to the lawsuit, Apple promoted a more personalised version of Siri that still has not been fully rolled out nearly two years after it was first announced. The complaint alleged the company created the impression that these AI features were immediately available when they were not.
The settlement, filed for court approval on May 6, covers around 36 million eligible devices sold in the US between June 10, 2024 and March 29, 2025. This includes the iPhone 16 range as well as the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models.
Apple has not admitted wrongdoing as part of the agreement.
The AI promise that arrived late
The dispute traces back to Apple’s 2024 software developer conference, where the company unveiled a major AI strategy aimed at catching up with rivals rapidly expanding into generative AI.
Apple advertised Siri upgrades that were expected to make the assistant more conversational, context-aware and personalised. The company also launched a large-scale marketing campaign around the features, positioning them as a major reason to upgrade to newer iPhones.
However, the rollout failed to arrive alongside the devices as initially expected. In 2025, Apple acknowledged the upgraded Siri experience would be delayed until later in the year, while some features remain unavailable even now.
The Better Business Bureau’s National Advertising Division, a US advertising watchdog, separately concluded that Apple had misleadingly implied the AI-powered Siri was “available now”.
A Morgan Stanley survey cited in the lawsuit reportedly found that the enhanced Siri features were among the most anticipated reasons consumers planned to buy newer iPhones.
Bigger questions around AI marketing
The settlement also reflects growing scrutiny around how technology companies market artificial intelligence products during the ongoing AI race.
Lawyers representing consumers argued that companies should be held accountable for overstating AI capabilities before they are ready for public use. Ryan Clarkson, founder of Clarkson Law Firm, said the case comes at a critical moment for AI regulation and consumer trust, as quoted in a news report.
Under the proposed settlement, affected consumers could receive around £18 ($25) per eligible device, though payments could reportedly rise to nearly £70 ($95) depending on the number of approved claims.
Apple defended its broader AI rollout, saying it had already introduced multiple AI-powered features since launching Apple Intelligence in 2024. The company said it chose to settle the matter in order to remain focused on developing products and services, reportedly said in a statement.
The agreement still requires approval from Judge Noël Wise in California, with a hearing scheduled for June 17.
The case may ultimately become less about Siri itself and more about how aggressively technology companies can market future AI capabilities before those products are fully ready for consumers.
