Apple AI's not so smart, class action lawsuit charges

• Lawsuits allege Apple misled buyers about AI capabilities on iPhone 16

• Class-action suit says users paid a “price premium” for features that didn’t exist

• Siri’s promised upgrades still missing months after launch

Apple is facing mounting legal trouble over its AI marketing claims, with two new lawsuits accusing the tech giant of falsely advertising the capabilities of its flagship iPhone 16, particularly its much-hyped "Apple Intelligence" and upgraded Siri assistant.

A Canada-wide class-action lawsuit, first reported by the Vancouver Sun, claims Apple made “misrepresentations and/or misleading statements” to convince consumers to purchase the iPhone 16 — even though its key AI features weren’t ready at launch.

“Consumers paid an unlawful price premium… based on artificial intelligence features that did not exist,” the lawsuit alleges.

Siri’s smarter self still missing

When Apple unveiled the iPhone 16 in September 2024, it promised a new era of intelligent personal assistance, with Siri as the centerpiece. But while some minor AI features rolled out with iOS updates in October and December, the more powerful Siri experience — including contextual awareness and in-app control — is still nowhere to be seen.

Apple’s software chief Craig Federighi had teased in September that the first wave of Apple Intelligence features would arrive "a month later," with more rolling out gradually. However, by year’s end, Apple quietly acknowledged that many of its most anticipated AI capabilities were still under development.

The lawsuit claims Apple was eager to promote these features to stay competitive in the AI arms race, even if they weren’t ready. It warns that by the time the features finally arrive, they may no longer be groundbreaking, as rivals like Samsung have already integrated similar tools.

Competitors leap ahead

Indeed, Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Ultra, launched earlier this year, has already impressed reviewers with its Google-powered AI assistant capable of screen awareness and cross-app functionality — features Apple had touted but has yet to deliver.

In the growing battle for AI dominance in smartphones, the legal filings accuse Apple of using empty promises to boost iPhone 16 sales during a critical moment in the market.

A second lawsuit in California makes the same argument, saying Apple "aggressively promoted" the new features and "promised a revolutionary product that would change the way consumers use their phones." But nearly a year after Apple unveiled Apple Intelligence at WWDC 2024, the functions "still do not exist," it alleges.

Apple has not yet commented publicly on the lawsuits.