Apple has agreed to a $250 million settlement to resolve a class-action lawsuit alleging it misled consumers about artificial intelligence capabilities of its virtual assistant Siri. The proposed settlement, filed in a federal court in California, covers US owners of iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max, and iPhone 16 models purchased between June 2024 and March 2025, with each claimant eligible for up to $95 per device. The case centres on Apple’s marketing blitz for its “Apple Intelligence” suite, unveiled alongside the iPhone 16 in September 2024, which promised a reinvented Siri capable of contextual understanding, cross-app actions, and integration with ChatGPT. Those features, the lawsuit argues, were advertised as a key reason to upgrade but never materialised at launch, leaving customers waiting — and eventually, waiting no more. The settlement, still subject to judicial approval, could rank among the largest ever paid by the company.

Viewed from California, where the lawsuit was filed, the case underscores a widening credibility gap for Apple as it scrambles to catch up in the generative AI race. Competitors such as Google and OpenAI have already embedded advanced language models into their ecosystems, while Apple’s roll-out has been beset by delays. Across the Atlantic, European consumers — covered by separate regulatory frameworks and not included in this US-only settlement — watch with interest. Analysts in London note that the outcome may embolden consumer groups in the EU to pursue similar claims under the bloc’s stricter advertising directives.

In Latin America, the settlement has generated particular attention. El Universal in Mexico and Band in Brazil both report that the case exposes the global disconnect between Silicon Valley’s promotional narratives and the actual user experience. For emerging markets, where premium iPhone models represent a significant financial outlay, the idea of paying for vapourware carries extra sting. Meanwhile, in India, The Hindu frames the episode as a cautionary tale: the slick keynote moments and dramatic product launches can easily mask a product roadmap that remains aspirational rather than operational.

The case is not an isolated one. In the United States, Sony recently agreed to a separate $7.85 million settlement over claims it unlawfully limited competition in digital game sales by ending third-party voucher sales. While the sums and issues differ, both settlements signal a growing judicial readiness to hold tech giants accountable for marketing promises that outpace engineering reality. Looking ahead, the Apple settlement may force a recalibration of how the company communicates future AI features. With a global audience increasingly sceptical of hype, the cost of over-promising may now be measured not just in reputation, but in hard cash.