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Some Apple iPhone users in North Carolina and nationwide are owed money under the terms of a settlement to resolve false advertising claims against the tech giant.
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Apple Inc. has agreed to pay $250 million to settle a class action lawsuit that accused the company of promising “upgraded” Siri Apple Intelligence features on its iPhone 15 and 16 smartphones — and failing to deliver.
Siri is Apple’s proprietary AI digital assistant.
The lawsuit, filed in July 2025, argued consumers overpaid for devices they otherwise wouldn’t have purchased.
“Apple promoted AI capabilities that did not exist at the time, do not exist now, and will not exist for two or more years, if ever, all while marketing them as the breakthrough innovation of the iPhone 16,” the complaint says.
Apple has denied any wrongdoing in the case.
We “reached a settlement to resolve claims related to the availability of two additional features,” the company told The Charlotte Observer in an email. “We resolved this matter to stay focused on doing what we do best, delivering the most innovative products and services to our users.”
Here’s what North Carolina buyers should know:
Anyone who purchased an iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max or any iPhone 16 model in the U.S. between June 10, 2024, and March 29, 2025, for personal or business use may file a claim.
Claimants must be the original buyer of the device, according to the settlement website.
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To get paid, buyers must submit a valid claim form with the following:
A claim may be filed per eligible device, administrators said. The deadline to file is Monday, Dec. 21.
iPhone users who submit a valid claim can get $25-$95 per eligible device. Payment amounts may be higher or lower depending on the number of claims submitted, administrators said.
A final hearing to approve the settlement will take place Feb. 24, 2027.
An update on when payments could go out was not available as of Oct. 13, but administrators said benefits “will be processed promptly” once the settlement is approved, barring any appeals.
North Carolinians may also be owed part of a $20.5 million digital privacy settlement if they recently used the CVS app, the Observer previously reported.
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This story was originally published October 13, 2026 at 4:05 PM with the headline “Apple iPhone users may be owed part of $250M settlement. How to claim in NC.”
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