iPhone 16 Buyers Unhappy, and Apple May Face Legal Issues

Two class action lawsuits have been filed against Apple over delays to its Siri features.

Apple recently faced backlash after announcing a significant delay in the much-anticipated Apple Intelligence Siri features. These features were among the key selling points for the new iPhone 16. Many customers, who had eagerly purchased the device in anticipation of the futuristic digital assistant, are now left disappointed by the delay.

As a result of the delay in Siri’s personalization features, Apple is facing at least two proposed class action lawsuits.

One complaint was filed this week in a California federal court. The lawsuit alleges that Apple violated laws against false advertising and unfair competition by marketing the Apple Intelligence upgrades for Siri, which are still not available.

The two plaintiffs in the case argue that they would not have purchased the iPhone 16 or paid its premium price if they had known that the promised features would not be delivered on time. They claim that Apple’s marketing was misleading, leading them to believe the features would be available as promised.

The context-aware, super-smart version of Siri was heavily advertised by Apple in product presentations, on its website, in commercials, and various other platforms. Last month, Apple was also hit with a similar class action lawsuit in California regarding the delayed Siri features. If both lawsuits proceed, they may potentially be merged.

In addition to the U.S. lawsuits, another comparable complaint has been filed against Apple in the province of British Columbia, Canada.

Thumbnail from Apple’s now removed ‘more personal Siri’ ad. | Image credit — Apple

The personalized Siri features were first introduced during Apple’s WWDC keynote in June 2024, as part of a range of Apple Intelligence enhancements. At the time, Apple promised that these features would begin rolling out in the following year, meaning they were expected by WWDC 2025.

However, Apple recently announced that the launch of these advanced, context-aware Siri features would be delayed, stating that they now need more time to perfect them. The company has updated its timeline, indicating that the features will be rolled out “in the coming year,” leaving many customers disappointed.