Apple will pay up to $95 to some US iPhone owners after agreeing to settle a class-action lawsuit linked to its Apple Intelligence rollout. The case focused on claims that the company promoted artificial intelligence features that were not available when certain iPhones went on sale.
The proposed settlement, filed in California federal court, covers millions of devices sold between June 2024 and March 2025. Apple denied wrongdoing but said it chose to resolve the matter to remain focused on its products and services.
Apple’s AI strategy has faced growing scrutiny since the launch of the iPhone 16 range in 2024. The company introduced Apple Intelligence as a major update to Siri and other built-in tools, presenting the software as a central part of the new devices.
According to the BBC, the legal complaint argued that Apple marketed AI capabilities that “did not exist at the time” and were still unavailable months later. The case centred particularly on an upgraded Siri assistant that had been heavily promoted before launch.
Lawsuit Focused on Apple Intelligence Advertising Claims
The settlement applies to customers in the United States who purchased an iPhone 16, iPhone 16E, iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max during the specified period. Depending on the number of successful claims, eligible users may receive between $25 and $95 per device.
According to The Guardian, the lawsuit covered roughly36 million devices and accused Apple of creating a “clear and reasonable consumer expectation” that advanced AI tools would be available with the launch of the iPhone 16. Plaintiffs argued that the advertised version of Siri never arrived as promised.
Court filings stated that Apple “saturated the market with deceptive ads” promoting enhanced Siri functions. The complaints alleged that the company used those features to encourage customers to upgrade their devices during a wider industry push around generative AI.
Apple rejected the allegations as part of the agreement. In a statement reported by several outlets, the company said it had already introduced dozens of Apple Intelligence features across multiple languages and platforms. Apple added that the dispute related specifically to “two additional features”. The proposed settlement still requires approval from Judge Noël Wise in the Northern District of California. A hearing has been scheduled for 17 June.
Delayed Siri Upgrade Became Central Issue in the Case
Apple first introduced Apple Intelligence during its Worldwide Developers Conferencein June 2024. The company presented a more personalised Siri assistant capable of handling complex requests and drawing information from apps and personal data stored on devices.
Yet many of those features were not included when the iPhone 16 launched later that year. According to The New York Times, Apple gradually released some AI tools, including writing assistance, notification summaries and image-generation functions, while postponing the upgraded Siri because of quality concerns.
The delays became increasingly visible as rivals expanded their own AI products. The complaint cited by multiple publications argued that Apple had attempted to keep pace with companies such as OpenAI and Google during a rapidly developing technology race.
Some of the initially released AI functions also faced technical criticism. Notification summaries generated by Apple Intelligence reportedly misrepresented certain news reports, leading Apple to disable that feature in some cases.
According to CNET, Apple later confirmed plans to use Google’s Gemini models to help power future Siri upgrades. The settlement filing also noted that Apple expects to deliver additional Apple Intelligence features through future software updates at no extra cost to users.
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