Apple hit with lawsuit over false advertising of Apple Intelligence features in iPhone 16 launch

Apple’s rollout of its highly anticipated Apple Intelligence features is facing legal backlash, as a new lawsuit accuses the company of misleading advertising and deceptive business practices. According to Axios, a class action complaint filed in a San Jose court alleges that Apple misrepresented the capabilities of the iPhone 16 and iOS 18 by aggressively promoting next-generation Siri features that ultimately weren’t ready at launch.

The legal action centers around Apple's early marketing campaigns that showcased advanced voice interactions and on-device intelligence features that were presented as central to the iPhone 16 experience. Consumers, the lawsuit claims, were led to believe that these Siri upgrades would be immediately available, only to discover after purchasing that the functionality had been postponed to a future software update.

While Apple eventually removed promotional materials for the delayed AI features, the lawsuit alleges that the company continued to run ads for months even after it internally knew the technology wouldn’t ship on time. Plaintiffs argue that this delay paired with the high-profile marketing campaign convinced millions to upgrade based on exaggerated or incomplete information.

The filing goes further, asserting that Apple capitalized on the public’s interest in generative AI by advertising capabilities that were “limited or nonexistent” in the product at launch. The plaintiffs are seeking damages and class action certification, representing users who purchased Apple Intelligence-supported devices under what they believe were false pretenses.

Apple has not yet commented on the lawsuit. Still, the case raises broader questions about how tech companies promote software-based features, particularly in the fast-moving world of AI where expectations are high, and timelines are fluid.

As Apple continues to evolve its Siri and Apple Intelligence platforms, this legal challenge may put added pressure on the company to set clearer expectations and deliver on them.