In March 2023, Apple announced a delay in the launch of its highly anticipated personalized Siri features. Shortly after this announcement, the tech giant found itself facing multiple class action lawsuits from dissatisfied customers. The plaintiffs claimed they would not have purchased the iPhone 16, or would have paid a lower price, had they known that Apple's marketing regarding the Siri features was misleading.
In the United States, all complaints related to this issue were consolidated into one comprehensive class action lawsuit. Recently, Apple responded to the allegations by filing a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, as revealed in court documents reviewed by MacRumors. Apple's legal team argued that the delay of just two specific Siri features—awareness of personal context and in-app controls—does not justify the broad claims made by the plaintiffs.
The plaintiffs voiced concerns regarding the timing of the release of these two features, despite the fact that nearly two dozen other features from the Apple Intelligence suite have already been introduced. According to Apple's lawyers, features such as Writing Tools, Image Playground, Genmoji, and Priority Notifications were made available prior to the lawsuit, undermining the plaintiffs’ claims.
Apple's legal representatives further contended that the complaints were flawed and that the delays in the Siri features do not amount to a breach of warranty. They emphasized that the company had communicated from the beginning that additional Apple Intelligence features would be rolled out over time and would continuously evolve. By purchasing the iPhone 16, the plaintiffs have benefited from numerous enhancements including improved camera capabilities, advanced silicon, increased performance, and upgraded displays, along with over 20 previously released Apple Intelligence features.
In July 2023, Apple CEO Tim Cook expressed confidence in the development of the delayed Siri features, indicating that the company was making significant progress and aimed for a release in the following year. Apple first teased these personalized Siri features during its WWDC 2024 keynote but later announced their postponement in March.
The upcoming capabilities are expected to include a better understanding of a user’s personal context, on-screen awareness, and enhanced per-app controls. For instance, Apple showcased an example where a user could ask Siri about their mother's flight and lunch reservations using information from the Mail and Messages apps.
Apple has actively promoted these new Siri features through various channels, including product presentations, its official website, and even a television commercial featuring actress Bella Ramsey. Reports suggest that Apple is targeting a release of the features as part of iOS 26.4, with expectations for availability in March or April of next year.
As the legal proceedings unfold, it remains to be seen how this situation will impact Apple's reputation and the eventual rollout of the promised features to its users.
