Apple has finally responded to the Siri class action lawsuit filed earlier this year (no, not that one) which claims that delayed Apple Intelligence features duped customers into purchasing iPhone 16 handsets.
The tech giant was hit with multiple lawsuits that were consolidated into a single class-action in April of this year. The case, Landsheft v. Apple Inc., was filed in the Northern District of California and features 69 plaintiffs.
The plaintiffs argue that Apple misled customers over Apple Intelligence and specifically Siri with the delay of two features, personal context awareness and in-app controls.
On Thursday, Apple filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit arguing that it cannot support the "sweeping claims" made by the plaintiffs.
"Plaintiffs complain about the timing of release of two features, despite the near two dozen Apple Intelligence features that have already been delivered," Apple's lawyers argue in the motion.
It goes on to say that the plaintiffs have benefitted from improved cameras, silicon, performance and displays along with "twenty Apple Intelligence features in their iPhone 16 models."
Some of those twenty features include Genmoji, Image Playground and Writing Tools.
The plaintiffs allege that an improved Siri was promised specifically in advertisements leading up to the release of the iPhone 16, as well as at WWDC 2024. Apple is saying that vague references to Siri don't count.
How we got here
There were rumors of an overhauled Sir before WWDC last year, and Apple made a number of promises about Siri during the annual developers conference.
However, it was also revealed that Apple Intelligence features would be rolled out piecemeal over several months across different iOS 18 updates. New Siri features were supposed to be included in those updates.
Apple advertised the Siri features in presentations, online and even in ads that featured actor Bella Ramsey — which were removed from official Apple channels in March.
Apple has struggled with its approach to AI, with multiple reports of internal dysfunction in the AI departments at Apple. Not to mention live AI features that were shockingly bad or only worked part of the time.
In March of this year, Apple officially announced that promised Siri capabilities would be delayed in to 2026. They will reportedly arrive with iOS 26.4 in March or April.
"The problem isn’t that Apple has delayed smarter Siri. The problem is that Apple promised a smarter Siri as a reason to purchase its devices today," analyst Avi Greengart of Techsponential said at the time.
Why the lawsuit is important
In the past, Apple had a reputation for not announcing features or devices until they were 100% ready for release. That changed with the arrival of Apple Intelligence.
Apple isn't the first company to do this, but tech companies regularly sell products based on future promises rather than what is actually available today. The iPhone 16 series, it could be argued and the plaintiffs are, promised an AI era for the iPhone.
Apple argues that eventually most of the promised features did arrive by the end of 2024 and going into the spring of 2025. All of which came at no extra cost, the lawyers claimed, which shows that customers weren't misled about the iPhone 16, even if some Siri features have been delayed for nearly 2 years now.
If the case proceeds and Apple loses, it could set a precedent for how tech companies market their products based on actually available features. We won't know if the lawsuit actually gets dismissed or goes to trial until next year. The hearing on Apple's motion to dismiss is scheduled for January 7, 2026.
If the case survives, the lawsuit could last for years. Meanwhile, Apple is also fighting another lawsuit over toxic "forever" chemicals in some Apple Watch bands that also kicked off this year.
Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!
More from Tom's Guide
- Apple responds to iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air 'scratchgate' — and aluminum durability concerns
- I walked 6,000 steps with the Apple Watch 11 vs Garmin Instinct 3 — and the winner is clear
- Forgotten Apple products — test your Apple History chops with our daily tech crossword
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
