Apple Settles Class-Action Lawsuit Over Delayed Siri Features for $250 Million

Apple has reportedly agreed to pay $250 million to settle a class action lawsuit in the US. According to a report by Engadget, the lawsuit alleged that Apple misled buyers of the iPhone 16 lineup and iPhone 15 Pro series by promoting an upgraded version of Siri alongside Apple Intelligence at WWDC 2024, despite the features not launching as promised. For the uninitiated, a class action lawsuit is filed on behalf of a group of people who claim to have been harmed in a similar way by the same entity.What Apple promisedDuring WWDC 2024, Apple showcased an upgraded version of Siri that could:Understand personal context from emails, messages and filesInteract with content visible on the screenPerform actions within apps without requiring users to open them manuallyThese features were presented before the launch of the iPhone 16 series, creating expectations that they would arrive through iOS 18 updates.However, the upgraded Siri capabilities did not arrive with any iOS 18 update and have also not appeared in iOS 26 updates so far.ALSO READ:Bard to Gemini and TPUs: Decoding Google's multi-pronged AI strategyAlso ReadiPhone 18 Pro series to iOS 27, big upgrades Apple may introduce this yeariOS 26.5 to bring E2E encryption for RCS messages between Apple and AndroidApple explores using Intel and Samsung to build chips in US beyond TSMCxAI may bring Grok Voice to Apple CarPlay for in-car AI use: What to expectMac mini M4 entry model disappears from Apple Store in India: Discontinued?Apple did release some Apple Intelligence features through 2024 and 2025, including text editing tools, image generation and ChatGPT integration. However, the more advanced Siri with contextual awareness remained unavailable.According to the report, Apple did not publicly acknowledge the delay until March 2025, more than five months after the launch of the iPhone 16 lineup. The company later withdrew promotional advertisements that showcased the new Siri capabilities.Settlement detailsThe proposed settlement is expected to offer compensation to users of the iPhone 15 Pro series and iPhone 16 series who expected the revamped Siri experience.However, the settlement reportedly does not require Apple to admit wrongdoing over promoting features that had not yet shipped.Revamped Siri may arrive with iOS 27Apple is now expected to introduce the upgraded Siri later this year.The company’s partnership with Google will allow Apple to use Gemini AI models to power future Apple Intelligence features, including a more personalised Siri.Google Cloud chief Thomas Kurian, speaking at Google Cloud Next 2026 on April 22, said Apple remains on track and that the revamped Siri is expected to arrive in 2026.ALSO READ:Mission Drishti: How GalaxEye is advancing earth observation with OptoSARAccording to Bloomberg, iOS 27 may also introduce additional AI-driven features, including:A health assistant that analyses user data and offers wellness insightsAn AI-powered “answer engine” for more conversational responses across Safari, Spotlight and SiriFurther Liquid Glass interface refinements aimed at improving readability and transparency controlsiOS 27 is also expected to allow third-party AI assistants to integrate more deeply with Siri, enabling users to route queries to services such as Gemini or Claude directly from within Apple’s voice assistant.