Apple will pay $250 million (£184 million) to settle a class-action lawsuit accusing it of misleading millions of iPhone buyers with AI-powered Siri features that still don't exist nearly two years after the company first showed them off.
The settlement terms, released on 5 May, cover roughly 36 million devices sold in the US and offer eligible owners between $25 (£18) and $95 (£70) per device. The per-device payout rises if fewer people file claims, which means early filers could walk away with significantly more than the base rate.
Anyone in the US who purchased an iPhone 16, iPhone 16e, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro Max between 10 June 2024 and 29 March 2025 is eligible. To file a claim, buyers will need to provide their device serial number, Apple Account information, and phone number.
Apple will begin sending email notices to eligible buyers within 45 days of 5 May. Claim forms will then be available through the official settlement website. A final court hearing to approve the deal is scheduled for 17 June.
As of May 2026, the personalised Siri features remain unavailable to users. They are now expected to arrive with iOS 27, which Apple is set to preview at WWDC on 8 June. That timeline means buyers who purchased iPhones based on Apple's 2024 marketing will have waited roughly two full years before seeing the features they were sold on.
Apple did not admit any wrongdoing as part of the settlement. The company said it resolved the matter 'to stay focused on doing what we do best, delivering the most innovative products and services to our users.' It also pointed to other Apple Intelligence features it has shipped since 2024, including Visual Intelligence, Writing Tools, and Live Translation.
The $250 million (£184 million) fund will also cover attorneys' fees and administrative costs, reducing the total pool paid directly to claimants. A settlement agreement was first reached in December 2025, but the full terms only became public this week.
This settlement doesn't end Apple's legal exposure over its AI promises. A separate class-action lawsuit led by South Korea's National Pension Service argues that Apple's delays cost billions in stock market losses. Apple has asked the court to dismiss that case, calling the claims an unsupported leap.
For iPhone owners who bought an eligible device during the settlement window, the next step is straightforward. Watch your inbox over the coming weeks and have your device serial number ready. The fewer people who file, the bigger the cheque per device.
Source: International Business Times UK
