A new federal lawsuit filed against Apple alleges the company engaged in false advertising by promoting Apple Intelligence features for the iPhone 16 lineup, including an enhanced Siri, that remain unavailable and are now delayed significantly. Spotted by Axios, the suit was lodged on March 19, 2025, in the U.S. District Court in San Jose. It's seeking class-action status and financial damages for buyers of affected devices.
The complaint was brought by plaintiff Peter Landsheft who is represented by Clarkson Law Firm. It alleges that Apple launched a "pervasive marketing campaign" last summer, spotlighting Apple Intelligence as a key selling point for the iPhone 16 series. "Apple's advertisements saturated the internet, television, and other airwaves to cultivate a clear and reasonable consumer expectation that these transformative features would be available upon the iPhone's release," the filing states. It accuses Apple of knowingly touting capabilities that "did not exist then and do not exist now," with a potential rollout not expected until 2026.
Landsheft, a California resident, purchased an iPhone 16 Pro Max in October 2024, relying on Apple's promises of advanced AI features. The suit details specific claims from Apple's marketing, such as Siri's ability to "draw on a user's personal context to answer questions" and "take hundreds of new actions in and across Apple and third-party apps." One example cited is an ad featuring actress Bella Ramsey, aired in September 2024, that showcased Siri personalization features that since don't exist. The filing recognizes Apple pulled this ad from YouTube after announcing the delay on March 7, 2025, but argues the company "has failed to retract all the similarly false representations in the market that began in the Summer of 2024."
The lawsuit targets buyers of the iPhone 16, 16e, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max, asserting violations of California's Unfair Competition Law, False Advertising Law, and Consumers Legal Remedies Act, alongside claims of fraud, negligent misrepresentation, breach of contract, breach of implied warranty, and unjust enrichment. It seeks unspecified damages, restitution, and an injunction to stop Apple's alleged deceptive practices, plus a corrective advertising campaign.
Apple recently confirmed the delay without elaborating on its causes. Spokeswoman Jacqueline Roy said, "It's going to take us longer than we thought to deliver on these features and we anticipate rolling them out in the coming year," pointing to a possible spring 2026 release with iOS 19.4. Siri chief Robby Walker purportedly described the setbacks as "ugly and embarrassing" in a team meeting, while the suit references internal concerns from executives like Craig Federighi that the features "didn't work properly—or as advertised—in their personal testing." Amid these issues, Apple has tapped Mike Rockwell to lead Siri's revival, moving him from the Vision Products Group to report to software head Craig Federighi, a move signaling a focused effort to tackle the delays.
The filing also points to competitive pressures, noting Apple's lag in the AI race against rivals like Samsung and Google, who leverage platforms like Gemini AI. "Apple knew it could not release the promised technology on time, if ever, and yet continued to falsely advertise the Products," the complaint reads, accusing the company of prioritizing profits over transparency.
No immediate comment was available from Apple. Docketed as 5:25-cv-02668, the case adds legal scrutiny to Apple's AI efforts as Rockwell steps in to steer Siri's course.
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The complaint was brought by plaintiff Peter Landsheft who is represented by Clarkson Law Firm. It alleges that Apple launched a "pervasive marketing campaign" last summer, spotlighting Apple Intelligence as a key selling point for the iPhone 16 series. "Apple's advertisements saturated the internet, television, and other airwaves to cultivate a clear and reasonable consumer expectation that these transformative features would be available upon the iPhone's release," the filing states. It accuses Apple of knowingly touting capabilities that "did not exist then and do not exist now," with a potential rollout not expected until 2026.
Landsheft, a California resident, purchased an iPhone 16 Pro Max in October 2024, relying on Apple's promises of advanced AI features. The suit details specific claims from Apple's marketing, such as Siri's ability to "draw on a user's personal context to answer questions" and "take hundreds of new actions in and across Apple and third-party apps." One example cited is an ad featuring actress Bella Ramsey, aired in September 2024, that showcased Siri personalization features that since don't exist. The filing recognizes Apple pulled this ad from YouTube after announcing the delay on March 7, 2025, but argues the company "has failed to retract all the similarly false representations in the market that began in the Summer of 2024."
The lawsuit targets buyers of the iPhone 16, 16e, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max, asserting violations of California's Unfair Competition Law, False Advertising Law, and Consumers Legal Remedies Act, alongside claims of fraud, negligent misrepresentation, breach of contract, breach of implied warranty, and unjust enrichment. It seeks unspecified damages, restitution, and an injunction to stop Apple's alleged deceptive practices, plus a corrective advertising campaign.
Apple recently confirmed the delay without elaborating on its causes. Spokeswoman Jacqueline Roy said, "It's going to take us longer than we thought to deliver on these features and we anticipate rolling them out in the coming year," pointing to a possible spring 2026 release with iOS 19.4. Siri chief Robby Walker purportedly described the setbacks as "ugly and embarrassing" in a team meeting, while the suit references internal concerns from executives like Craig Federighi that the features "didn't work properly—or as advertised—in their personal testing." Amid these issues, Apple has tapped Mike Rockwell to lead Siri's revival, moving him from the Vision Products Group to report to software head Craig Federighi, a move signaling a focused effort to tackle the delays.
The filing also points to competitive pressures, noting Apple's lag in the AI race against rivals like Samsung and Google, who leverage platforms like Gemini AI. "Apple knew it could not release the promised technology on time, if ever, and yet continued to falsely advertise the Products," the complaint reads, accusing the company of prioritizing profits over transparency.
No immediate comment was available from Apple. Docketed as 5:25-cv-02668, the case adds legal scrutiny to Apple's AI efforts as Rockwell steps in to steer Siri's course.
Please download the iClarified app or follow iClarified on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and RSS for more updates.