iPhone 16 owners could be entitled to compensation after Apple agreed to a $250 million settlement in a class action lawsuit over the delayed rollout of artificial intelligence features for its Siri voice assistant.
Lawsuit Allegations
The lawsuit, filed in 2024 by Peter Landsheft in US federal court in San Jose, California, accused Apple of false advertising for promoting its Apple Intelligence suite of AI upgrades at its annual software developer conference in 2024, promising they would be available with the new iPhones that autumn. However, the iPhones launched without those features, which plaintiffs claimed harmed shareholders.
In 2025, Apple announced that the AI overhaul of Siri would not arrive until 2026. Executives have now confirmed that the revamped Siri will be unveiled at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) next month.
Eligibility and Payments
According to the lawsuit, anyone who purchased an iPhone 16, iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro Max in the United States between June 2024 and March 2025 could be eligible for a payment of up to $95 per device.
Apple's Response
Apple did not admit any wrongdoing in the settlement, which still requires judicial approval. In a statement, Apple said it had released numerous other artificial intelligence features since launching Apple Intelligence in 2024. "Apple has reached a settlement to resolve claims related to the availability of two additional features," the statement read. "We resolved this matter to stay focused on doing what we do best, delivering the most innovative products and services to our users."
Background on Siri
The upgraded Siri comes 15 years after the voice assistant first launched on the iPhone, setting the standard for the technology at the time. Apple has since fallen behind established tech rivals like Google and Meta in the race to develop AI chatbots, as well as newer entrants such as Anthropic and OpenAI.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has made improving Siri a top priority for the Cupertino company and has pursued partnerships with other firms to boost its AI capabilities. During an earnings call last week, Cook said: "This is not AI as a standalone feature, but AI as an essential and intuitive part of our devices."
