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Tech giant Apple has agreed to pay a staggering US$250 million to settle a major class-action lawsuit accusing the company of misleading millions of iPhone buyers with advertisements promoting “Enhanced Siri” artificial intelligence features that reportedly did not yet exist when the phones were sold.

The explosive lawsuit alleged that Apple aggressively marketed futuristic AI-powered Siri capabilities as part of its “Apple Intelligence” rollout for the iPhone 16 series and select iPhone 15 models — despite the features being delayed for years and unavailable at launch.

According to court filings, plaintiffs argued that Apple “promoted AI capabilities that did not exist at the time” and convinced consumers to pay premium prices for devices based on features that were not ready.

The lawsuit specifically targeted Apple’s heavily promoted “more personalized Siri” experience unveiled during the company’s 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). Consumers claimed the marketing campaign created the impression that revolutionary AI features would immediately transform Siri into a smarter, more human-like assistant — but those upgrades never arrived on schedule.

Apple has denied wrongdoing but agreed to the massive settlement in an effort to end the legal battle.

WHO QUALIFIES?

Reports indicate that U.S.-based customers who purchased eligible devices between June 10, 2024 and March 29, 2025 may qualify for payments ranging from approximately US$25 to as much as US$95 per device depending on the number of claims filed.

Eligible devices reportedly include:

• iPhone 16
• iPhone 16 Plus
• iPhone 16 Pro
• iPhone 16 Pro Max
• iPhone 16e
• iPhone 15 Pro
• iPhone 15 Pro Max

Industry reports suggest as many as 36 to 37 million devices may be covered under the settlement.

HOW TO CLAIM

A final court approval hearing is reportedly scheduled for June 17, 2026 in California. Once approved, eligible customers are expected to receive notification by email or regular mail with instructions on how to file claims through an official settlement portal.

At this stage, consumers are being advised to:

• Keep proof of purchase or device records
• Monitor their email for settlement notifications
• Watch for announcements from the settlement administrator

Legal experts say the case could become one of the most embarrassing AI-related consumer lawsuits in recent tech history, raising serious questions about whether major tech companies are overselling artificial intelligence capabilities before they are actually ready for public use.

The controversy also comes as Apple faces mounting pressure from rivals like Google, OpenAI and Samsung in the rapidly escalating global AI race.

Many observers say the lawsuit sends a clear warning to Silicon Valley: consumers may no longer tolerate flashy AI marketing campaigns built around promises that fail to materialize.