Apple's $250 Million AI iPhone Settlement Is Coming Sooner Than Expected. Learn Who's Eligible for a Payout – CNET
Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission.
Tech > Mobile
The company will pay some iPhone owners to settle a lawsuit, and with a new court order, that will now happen months earlier than expected.
Senior Writer
Senior Writer
August 14, 2026, 12:16 pm ET
Apple is settling a lawsuit related to the delayed rollout of Apple Intelligence features.
The legal machinery for class-action settlements grinds slowly, but a court order today in Apple’s $250 million case over its iPhone AI features potentially speeds things up by seven months.
Apple settled a false-advertising lawsuit in May, agreeing to pay $250 million to customers who bought some iPhone models during a specified period. The lawsuit alleged that Apple misled customers by promising AI features that didn’t ship when the new devices did. If you purchased an iPhone 16 or iPhone 15 at launch, you may be entitled to receive a portion of the quarter-billion-dollar lawsuit. Payouts between $25 and $95 per eligible device are expected.
Apple lit up its flagship New York City store to resemble Siri’s new color scheme.
In an earlier statement to CNET Managing Editor David Lumb, an Apple spokesperson said, “Apple has reached a settlement to resolve claims related to the availability of two additional features. We resolved this matter to stay focused on doing what we do best, delivering the most innovative products and services to our users.”
On July 17, according to an email from Clarkson Law Firm, “The Court has granted preliminary approval of the settlement … This means the Court has reviewed the proposed terms and found them sufficient to move forward to the next phase; it is not a final ruling on the settlement’s fairness.”
The latest Aug. 13 order moves up the final approval date.
When Apple advertised its new iPhone 16 lineup in 2024, it emphasized how the models were optimized for AI features such as an enhanced Siri that could act as an intelligent agent. When the phones did arrive, Apple Intelligence wasn’t yet ready; its first features didn’t arrive until iOS 18.1, five weeks later.
According to the proposed settlement, “Apple allegedly saturated the market with deceptive ads, inducing consumers to purchase iPhones based on the promise of certain enhanced Siri features.”
Some features of Apple Intelligence did ship soon after the introduction of the iPhone 16 and iOS 18, including Visual Intelligence, Live Translation, Writing Tools, Genmoji and Clean Up. But those weren’t the advanced features Apple highlighted. In fact, the type of intelligent interactions Apple advertised are only starting to show up in Siri AI, which is part of iOS 27 that’s expected to be released later this year. The public beta of iOS 27 is available now.
People who bought one of the following devices between June 10, 2024, and March 29, 2025, are eligible to receive a settlement payment:
The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are included because they had the processor and memory to run Apple Intelligence features.
It’s estimated that approximately 36 million customers are eligible for this settlement.
For now, you need to wait.
As set forth in the settlement, Apple will provide a list of eligible customers and their contact information to a settlement administrator.
After the data has been verified, the company Verita will send email and postal notices to those customers directing them to a settlement website. That site has not yet been created. The deadline for filing your claim will be 90 days after your notice arrives.
According to the settlement, Apple needed to provide the information about affected customers within five days of the settlement approval. As of late July, preliminary approval has been granted by the court.
After the data is provided and verified, a 45-day notice period begins to inform potential consumers that they’re eligible for a payment.
On Aug. 13, US District Court Judge Noël Wise granted approval to push forward the date from Sept. 29, 2027, to Feb. 24, 2027.
Provided approval is granted, that puts the first checks or deposits arriving sometime within a 60-day window after February next year, depending on court dates and possible extensions.
© 2026 CNET, a Ziff Davis company. All rights reserved.
source
This article was autogenerated from a news feed from CDO TIMES selected high quality news and research sources. There was no editorial review conducted beyond that by CDO TIMES staff. Need help with any of the topics in our articles? Schedule your free CDO TIMES Tech Navigator call today to stay ahead of the curve and gain insider advantages to propel your business!
Tech > Mobile
The company will pay some iPhone owners to settle a lawsuit, and with a new court order, that will now happen months earlier than expected.
Senior Writer
Senior Writer
August 14, 2026, 12:16 pm ET
Apple is settling a lawsuit related to the delayed rollout of Apple Intelligence features.
The legal machinery for class-action settlements grinds slowly, but a court order today in Apple’s $250 million case over its iPhone AI features potentially speeds things up by seven months.
Apple settled a false-advertising lawsuit in May, agreeing to pay $250 million to customers who bought some iPhone models during a specified period. The lawsuit alleged that Apple misled customers by promising AI features that didn’t ship when the new devices did. If you purchased an iPhone 16 or iPhone 15 at launch, you may be entitled to receive a portion of the quarter-billion-dollar lawsuit. Payouts between $25 and $95 per eligible device are expected.
Apple lit up its flagship New York City store to resemble Siri’s new color scheme.
In an earlier statement to CNET Managing Editor David Lumb, an Apple spokesperson said, “Apple has reached a settlement to resolve claims related to the availability of two additional features. We resolved this matter to stay focused on doing what we do best, delivering the most innovative products and services to our users.”
On July 17, according to an email from Clarkson Law Firm, “The Court has granted preliminary approval of the settlement … This means the Court has reviewed the proposed terms and found them sufficient to move forward to the next phase; it is not a final ruling on the settlement’s fairness.”
The latest Aug. 13 order moves up the final approval date.
When Apple advertised its new iPhone 16 lineup in 2024, it emphasized how the models were optimized for AI features such as an enhanced Siri that could act as an intelligent agent. When the phones did arrive, Apple Intelligence wasn’t yet ready; its first features didn’t arrive until iOS 18.1, five weeks later.
According to the proposed settlement, “Apple allegedly saturated the market with deceptive ads, inducing consumers to purchase iPhones based on the promise of certain enhanced Siri features.”
Some features of Apple Intelligence did ship soon after the introduction of the iPhone 16 and iOS 18, including Visual Intelligence, Live Translation, Writing Tools, Genmoji and Clean Up. But those weren’t the advanced features Apple highlighted. In fact, the type of intelligent interactions Apple advertised are only starting to show up in Siri AI, which is part of iOS 27 that’s expected to be released later this year. The public beta of iOS 27 is available now.
People who bought one of the following devices between June 10, 2024, and March 29, 2025, are eligible to receive a settlement payment:
The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are included because they had the processor and memory to run Apple Intelligence features.
It’s estimated that approximately 36 million customers are eligible for this settlement.
For now, you need to wait.
As set forth in the settlement, Apple will provide a list of eligible customers and their contact information to a settlement administrator.
After the data has been verified, the company Verita will send email and postal notices to those customers directing them to a settlement website. That site has not yet been created. The deadline for filing your claim will be 90 days after your notice arrives.
According to the settlement, Apple needed to provide the information about affected customers within five days of the settlement approval. As of late July, preliminary approval has been granted by the court.
After the data is provided and verified, a 45-day notice period begins to inform potential consumers that they’re eligible for a payment.
On Aug. 13, US District Court Judge Noël Wise granted approval to push forward the date from Sept. 29, 2027, to Feb. 24, 2027.
Provided approval is granted, that puts the first checks or deposits arriving sometime within a 60-day window after February next year, depending on court dates and possible extensions.
© 2026 CNET, a Ziff Davis company. All rights reserved.
source
This article was autogenerated from a news feed from CDO TIMES selected high quality news and research sources. There was no editorial review conducted beyond that by CDO TIMES staff. Need help with any of the topics in our articles? Schedule your free CDO TIMES Tech Navigator call today to stay ahead of the curve and gain insider advantages to propel your business!
