Apple Will Pay iPhone Owners Over the Siri It Promised and Delayed. Here’s Who Qualifies

Apple has agreed to pay $250 million, about KES 32 billion, to settle a class-action lawsuit in the United States over the smarter Siri it advertised heavily and then delayed. Eligible iPhone owners could receive up to $95 per device, roughly KES 12,300.

This is a story we have been following for two years. Here is what the settlement actually covers, who can claim, and why it matters even if a cheque is never coming your way.

What Apple is accused of

At its developer conference in June 2024, Apple previewed a rebuilt Siri powered by its Apple Intelligence system, which we wrote about when it first arrived. The pitch was a genuinely personal assistant. It would understand context from your emails and calendar, see what was on your screen, and carry out multi-step tasks across your apps. Apple put those promises front and centre in its iPhone 16 marketing when the phone launched in September 2024, including a television advert featuring the actor Bella Ramsey.

The features did not arrive. In March 2025, Apple delayed the personalised Siri and quietly pulled the adverts. The lawsuit, filed in the Northern District of California by the Clarkson Law Firm, argued that Apple had marketed features that did not yet exist, leading people to buy iPhones on a false promise. That, the plaintiffs said, broke California’s consumer protection and false advertising laws.

Apple denies any wrongdoing. A company spokesperson said Apple settled “to stay focused” on delivering products to its users, and pointed to the many Apple Intelligence features it has shipped since 2024.

Who can claim, and how much

The settlement covers US residents who bought one of these models between 10 June 2024 and 29 March 2025: the iPhone 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max, 16, 16e, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max.

Each valid claim pays $25 per device. That figure can rise to as much as $95, roughly KES 12,300, if fewer people claim than expected. Set against the price of the phones themselves, often KES 150,000 or more when new, the base $25 (about KES 3,200) reads as a token gesture rather than a refund. Claimants will need proof of purchase, the device serial number, and their Apple Account details. You do not need to still own the phone to file.

To be clear for readers here: this is a United States payout only. If you bought your iPhone in Kenya, you are not part of this settlement, whatever model you own.

When does the money come?

Not soon. As of this week, the California court has held a hearing on preliminary approval, but the judge has not yet issued a ruling. If the settlement is approved, eligible buyers in the US would be notified by email within about 45 days, and payouts are unlikely to begin before late 2026 or early 2027. For now, no action is required from anyone.

One point of confusion is worth clearing up. This is not the same as the older Siri privacy case, in which Apple paid $95 million in total over Siri accidentally recording people. Here, $250 million is the total, and $95 is the maximum any single person can receive.

Why it matters beyond the payout

The irony is that the Siri Apple was sued over is finally here. At WWDC 2026 the company introduced “Siri AI”, now partly powered by a custom version of Google’s Gemini model, a deal we covered in January. Apple’s own announcement confirmed it arrives fully with iOS 27 in September, for the iPhone 15 Pro and newer. We have already been testing it in the beta.

The settlement is also a marker in a wider pattern. The AI race has pushed phone makers to announce features long before they are ready, and to charge more for the hardware said to run them. Apple is not exempt. The premium AI story has run alongside steadily rising device prices across the industry, Apple included, even as some of the headline features are still being finished in beta.

For most people the practical takeaway is simple. If you are in the US and bought a qualifying iPhone in that window, keep your proof of purchase and watch for the settlement website. If you are anywhere else, there is no cheque coming, but the Siri you were promised is about to land on your phone anyway.