$25 Is Back? The Siri Settlement Has an Even More Bitter Catch

WccfTech reports that Apple has agreed to pay $2.5 billion to settle a class-action lawsuit over allegedly misleading Siri marketing. The dispute centers on the “more personalized” Siri features shown at WWDC 2024, which still have not launched. Eligible iPhone users can claim $25 per device, and that figure could rise to $95 if the number of claims stays low.

At WWDC 2024, Apple presented Siri as something much closer to daily use than what has actually shipped: a version that could understand what was on the screen, use personal data to deliver tailored service, and carry out context-aware tasks by voice inside supported apps. That gap is the whole issue. The keynote sold a picture of Siri as a more capable assistant, but those specific features remain unavailable.

This may not be a typical games headline, but it still lands close to players. A lot of people now buy phones for more than chips and cameras; they also buy into the promise that the system will feel smarter and more useful over time. The lawsuit’s argument is direct: Apple allegedly overstated Siri’s AI capabilities and used misleading information to help drive purchases of the iPhone 16 lineup. The eligible devices are iPhone 16, iPhone 16e, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max, and the purchase window runs from 2024年6月10 to 2025年3月29.

That disconnect is what makes the case easy to understand. The most appealing part of the pitch was not that Siri would improve in some vague future sense, but that these features looked close to ready. According to insider Mark Gurman, they were originally planned for the iOS 26.4 update in 2026年2月. That detail also suggests the features are still in development and never arrived on the timeline many viewers took from the presentation.

The most practical part of the settlement is the payout. Anyone who submits a valid claim can receive $25 for each eligible device. If relatively few people file, the payment could go as high as $95 per device. That will not do much to erase the disappointment, but it does underline a point that matters well beyond this case: AI features cannot be sold on keynote footage and buzzwords alone. Delivery timing is part of the product.

If your device is on the list, the sensible move is to check the model and purchase date first, then watch for the claims process. If you are shopping for a new phone, this is also a useful reminder: treat unshipped AI features as future-update promises, not part of the experience you are buying today.