Apple has agreed to pay $250 million to settle a class action lawsuit accusing the company of misleading consumers about the AI and Siri capabilities of its iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 lineup. Eligible customers who purchased qualifying devices can now file a claim for up to $95 per device, but must act before the December 21, 2026 deadline.
The settlement does not require Apple to admit any wrongdoing or liability. The company said it resolved the matter to stay focused on delivering products and services to its users.
What the Lawsuit Alleged
When Apple unveiled the iPhone 16 in September 2024, its marketing centered heavily on Apple Intelligence — the company’s suite of AI features including an upgraded Siri, ChatGPT integration, and a new emoji generation tool. The launch created what the lawsuit described as a clear and reasonable consumer expectation that these features would be present and functional on the new devices.
In practice, many of the advertised AI capabilities were not available at launch and rolled out slowly or incompletely in subsequent software updates. Buyers who purchased devices based on Apple’s AI marketing found themselves with hardware that did not deliver what the advertisements suggested.
The lawsuit argued this constituted false advertising under consumer protection law.
Who Qualifies
To be eligible for a payment from the settlement you must:
Be a US resident and have purchased one of the following devices between June 10, 2024 and March 29, 2025:
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 16
- iPhone 16 Plus
- iPhone 16 Pro
- iPhone 16 Pro Max
You must also confirm that you expected to receive certain Siri Apple Intelligence features on your device at the time of purchase and did not receive them.
You must be the original purchaser of the device. Resale purchases do not qualify. Businesses that purchased eligible devices during the qualifying period may also submit claims.
How Much You Can Receive
The base payment is $25 per eligible device. That amount may be adjusted up to a maximum of $95 per device depending on how many total valid claims are submitted. If relatively few people file claims, individual payments go up. If the majority of eligible buyers file, payments stay closer to the $25 base.
You may submit a separate claim for each eligible device you purchased during the qualifying period.
How to File a Claim
To receive your payment you must complete and submit a valid claim form by December 21, 2026. The claim form requires your current contact information, confirmation that you purchased an eligible device during the qualifying period, and information confirming your purchase and ownership of the device.
Claims will be rejected if they are incomplete, contain false information, or are submitted after the deadline.
Payments will be made by physical or digital check after the settlement receives final court approval. The final approval hearing is scheduled for February 24, 2027 at the US District Court for the Northern District of California in San Jose.
If no appeals are filed after that hearing, payments will be processed promptly. Any appeals could delay distribution.
Why This Settlement Matters
The Apple AI lawsuit is one of the first major consumer class actions to successfully challenge a technology company’s marketing of artificial intelligence features that were not yet ready at the time of sale.
As AI becomes a central selling point for smartphones, laptops, and other consumer electronics, the case sets a precedent that companies cannot advertise AI capabilities as present or imminent if the technology is not actually functional for purchasers at the time they buy the product.
Legal analysts say the settlement could encourage similar lawsuits against other technology companies that have marketed AI features aggressively while the underlying technology remained incomplete.
Act Before December 21
The claim deadline is December 21, 2026. There is no extension and no exceptions for late submissions. If you purchased a qualifying iPhone during the eligible period, visit the official settlement website to file your claim and check your eligibility before the window closes.
InjuryWatch News will update this story following the February 24, 2027 final approval hearing.