Apple agreed in May to pay $250 million to settle a class-action lawsuit in the United States related to the delayed launch of artificial intelligence features for the 'Siri' assistant, and eligible iPhone users may receive compensation of up to $95.

A court in California, which is hearing the case, held a session this week regarding the preliminary approval of the settlement, but the judge has not yet issued a ruling.

It is likely that several more months will pass before eligible customers can submit compensation claims, and payments are not expected to begin before the end of this year or early next year if the settlement receives final approval, according to a report by 'MacRumors', a technology news website, reviewed by 'Al Arabiya Business'.

Why was the lawsuit filed against Apple?

In June 2024, Apple showcased new capabilities for the 'Siri' assistant powered by the Apple Intelligence system, including understanding the user's personal context, awareness of what appears on the screen, and deeper control within apps.

For example, the company demonstrated a user with an iPhone asking Siri about their mother's flight time and lunch plans, based on information extracted from the Messages and Email apps.

Apple promoted these features in product launch presentations, on its website, in a television commercial featuring actress Bella Ramsey, and through other means.

In March 2025, Apple delayed the launch of this intelligent version of Siri, leading to a class-action lawsuit against it for misleading advertising.

In a statement, Apple highlighted a range of other Apple Intelligence features it had already launched. Nevertheless, the company agreed to settle the lawsuit to focus on 'delivering the most innovative products and services to our users'.

Apple finally announced 'Siri AI' during its WWDC 2026 conference last month, and the enhanced personal assistant became available for testing via the iOS 27 developer beta, with the public beta to follow this month.

iOS 27 is expected to be released in September, at which point Siri AI features will be available to all users of iPhone 15 Pro or later models.

Who is eligible for compensation?

To be eligible to file a compensation claim, users must be residents of the United States and must have purchased any of the iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 16 phones between June 10, 2024 and March 29, 2025.

According to the settlement terms, each person filing an eligible claim will receive $25 per device, but this amount could rise to $95 if the total number of claims filed is lower than expected.

List of eligible phones:

- iPhone 15 Pro

- iPhone 15 Pro Max

- iPhone 16

- iPhone 16e

- iPhone 16 Plus

- iPhone 16 Pro

- iPhone 16 Pro Max

- iPhone 16 Pro Max

It is unlikely that claimants will still need to own an eligible iPhone model. However, proof of purchase or other information, such as the device's serial number, may be required. The exact requirements will be detailed on the settlement website, which has not yet been activated.

Advertorial

Advertorial