Apple agrees to pay $250 million to certain iPhone owners

Apple has agreed to pay some iPhone buyers a collective $250m to end a lawsuit accusing the company of misleading people about new artificial intelligence (AI) features and capabilities.

In a settlement filed in a California federal court, Apple denied wrongdoing but agreed to resolve the claims in a large, consolidated class-action lawsuit filed last year.

It accused Apple of false advertising around its AI features on the iPhone, which the company called Apple Intelligence, including an enhancement of its Siri voice assistant.

An Apple spokeswoman said the lawsuit was focused on “the availability of two additional features” in a lineup of many released as part of its Apple Intelligence rollout.

“We resolved this matter to stay focused on doing what we do best, delivering the most innovative products and services to our users”, she said.

In a revised complaint filed last week for the consolidated class of iPhone buyers, lawyers said that Apple’s marketing around new AI features amounted to false advertising.

“Apple promoted AI capabilities that did not exist at the time, do not exist now, and will not exist for two or more years, if ever, all while marketing them as the breakthrough innovation,” lawyers wrote.

They added that Apple undertook this campaign around AI specifically to catch up in a Big Tech race for new technology being driven by companies like OpenAI and Anthropic.

Key details regarding the settlement:

• Who is eligible: U.S. consumers who purchased any iPhone 16 model or the iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max between June 10, 2024, and March 29, 2025.
• Payout: Eligible customers are estimated to receive between $25 and $95 per device, depending on the number of claims filed.
• Timeline: As of July 2026, the settlement awaits a judge’s final ruling. No claim forms are active yet, but eligible individuals will be contacted by a settlement administrator via email or mail to submit a claim once the process opens.

You don’t need to do anything yet
The Apple settlement covers iPhone 15 Pro/Max and iPhone 16 series devices purchased between June 10, 2024, and March 29, 2025. While an official claim site is pending, you can monitor case developments via the CNET guide at CNET and the MacRumors update at MacRumors.

Thanks to Tom’s Guide for this  update