Apple has agreed to pay $250 million to settle a class action brought by buyers of its newest iPhones, who say Siri features they expected never arrived, and the deadline to file a claim is Monday, December 21.
Each approved claim starts at $25 per phone and can rise to as much as $95, depending on how many owners file. Owners who do nothing get no payment and still give up the right to sue Apple over the same claims.
What the Siri lawsuit says Apple failed to deliver
The case, Landsheft v. Apple Inc., is in federal court in San Jose, California, before U.S. District Judge Noël Wise. According to the settlement’s official FAQ, the buyers allege they were harmed when Apple did not deliver certain Apple Intelligence features on time, and they brought claims under various states’ consumer protection laws.
Apple denies all of the allegations. The official settlement website says the agreement is not an admission of wrongdoing of any kind. The court granted preliminary approval on July 17, 2026, and the claim window opened on September 21.
Two numbers per phone: Apple’s claim form asks for a serial number, or an Apple Account email and phone number, for each eligible iPhone, and every device needs its own form. The step-by-step filing walkthrough covers how to assemble a claim like this one, in The Settlement & Refund Recovery System.
The iPhone models and purchase dates that qualify
Seven models are covered: the iPhone 15 Pro, the iPhone 15 Pro Max and every iPhone 16 model, meaning the iPhone 16, 16e, 16 Plus, 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max. The phone has to have been bought between June 10, 2024, and March 29, 2025.
The buyer must live in the United States, the purchase must have been made in the United States, and the phone cannot have been bought for resale. The settlement website adds that the claimant must be the original purchaser of the device. Apple, its directors, officers and employees, and the judicial officers on the case and their families are excluded.
Those limits matter more than the model name. An iPhone 16 bought in April 2025 falls outside the window, and so does a secondhand iPhone 15 Pro bought from a previous owner, even though both phones are on the list.
How a $25 payment can rise or shrink
The court-approved notice says each valid claim receives $25 per device, which may be adjusted up or down, with a maximum of $95 per device. The final figure depends on how many valid claims and devices are filed, and on what comes out of the fund first: attorneys’ fees, litigation expenses, notice and administration costs, and service awards of up to $2,000 for each class representative.
The lawyers have not yet named a fee figure. The FAQ says their motion will be posted on the settlement website by November 17, 2026, and the court decides the amount.
Payments are per phone, not per person. A household that bought an iPhone 16 Pro and an iPhone 15 Pro inside the window files two separate claim forms and, if both are approved, receives two separate payments. Claimants choose a digital payment or a mailed check.
What the claim form asks for
The claim form asks for a name, address, email and phone number, then the phone’s serial number. The form says the serial number appears under Settings, General, About on the device, on the original packaging, or on the receipt or invoice. A claimant without it can supply the Apple Account email address and the phone number used on that iPhone instead.
There is no receipt upload. The claimant signs a certification that the information is true and correct and that the phone was bought in the qualifying window in the United States. Claims are subject to audit and validation, and the form warns that an incomplete, false or late claim will be rejected. Forms can be filed online or mailed, as long as a mailed form is postmarked by December 21.
Opting out, objecting and the February hearing
December 21 is also the deadline to opt out or to object. An opt-out keeps the right to sue Apple separately but gives up any payment, and it must be a signed letter mailed to the administrator with the case name and number, the claimant’s name, address and phone number, and a clear request to be excluded. Group opt-outs are not allowed. An objector stays in the class and asks the court to change or reject the deal.
The final approval hearing is scheduled for February 24, 2027, at 9 a.m. in Courtroom 3 of the federal courthouse at 280 South 1st Street in San Jose, and the court can move it without further notice. The settlement’s contact page lists the administrator at P.O. Box 301132, Los Angeles, CA 90030-1132, with a toll-free line at 1-888-988-8945, and asks that no one contact the court about the settlement.
One form for every eligible iPhone
The Apple settlement treats each phone as its own claim, so a household with two qualifying iPhones files twice, with a serial number or account details for each. Keeping a record of which forms went in, and which payments later arrive after the February hearing, is the part the settlement site leaves to the claimant.
The Settlement & Refund Recovery System pairs a step-by-step filing walkthrough with a claim log and payment tracker, so each device claim and its payment status can be followed from filing to final approval.
Open the claim log in The Settlement & Refund Recovery System.
This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy against the official Apple Siri settlement website, its FAQ, court-approved notice and claim form.
Silas Redmond writes about the structure of modern banking, financial regulations, and the rules that govern money movement. His work examines how institutions, policies, and compliance frameworks affect individuals and businesses alike. At The Daily Overview, Silas aims to help readers better understand the systems operating behind everyday financial decisions. He also covers scams, fraud cases and the audits that expose them.
