Apple is facing a proposed class-action lawsuit in British Columbia that accuses the company of misleading advertising over the iPhone 16’s AI features, reports the Vancouver Sun.
The lawsuit, filed in B.C. Supreme Court, claims Apple promised new artificial intelligence capabilities in its marketing of the iPhone 16 series but failed to deliver. It alleges Apple’s advertising campaign gave the false impression that the device included advanced Apple Intelligence features at launch.
According to the court filing, the advertised AI tools—such as a smarter version of Siri—did not exist when the phone went on sale, and may not be available until 2027. In small print, Apple noted that some features were still “in development” and would come in a future update. That disclaimer, the lawsuit says, was only added to Apple’s website after March 7, under pressure from critics.
The case argues that Canadian customers paid a premium for tech that wasn’t ready, describing Apple’s actions as misleading and a breach of consumer protection laws. It also names both Apple Canada and Apple Inc. as defendants and includes allegations of fraud, breach of contract, and unjust enrichment.
“In the race for AI market share, it decided to violate them anyway, misleading consumers into believing that the products possessed AI features, functions and benefits the products simply do not have and, according to company and industry insiders, may never have,” reads the lawsuit.
The lead plaintiff, Travis Paivarinta, bought an iPhone 16 Pro Max for $1,799 in Abbotsford, B.C., believing it had cutting-edge AI features Apple had promoted. The advanced Siri features have still yet to launch.
The lawsuit is seeking compensation for anyone in Canada who purchased an iPhone 16 before March 7. If certified by the court, affected customers could be eligible for compensation ranging from $17.50 to $150, depending on how many claims are filed.
None of the allegations have been proven in court and Apple did not respond to the Vancouver Sun at time of publication.
Earlier this month, Apple faced a similar lawsuit down in the U.S., over allegations it falsely promoted Apple Intelligence features that did not launch as promised. Now we’re seeing something similar pop up in Canada, as we suspected.
Many Canadians are still waiting for payouts from a recent Apple settlement over power management issues related to older iPhones. Who knows when those payouts will even happen.
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$17.50-$150? We deserve to be compensated in full! If someone bought a MacBook Pro for $11000, they deserve a full refund because Apple lied about Apple Intelligence being available when it’s not
Exactly. They should ask for more money. I was one of the people who bought this device due to Apple’s advertised features. To this day, my 16 Pro is just as stupid as my iPhone 13. They tricked people into upgrading because the “Intelligence” features would only be for the 15 and 16 Pro.
Exactly my situation as well. Bought the 16 Pro Max to replace my 13 Pro Max – and all I got was basically a different shaped camera cutout instead of the advanced deeply integrated Siri I was promised.
Exactly. They should ask for more money. I was one of the people who bought this device due to Apple’s advertised features. To this day, my 16 Pro is just as stupid as my iPhone 13. They tricked people into upgrading because the “Intelligence” features would only be for the 15 and 16 Pro.
Exactly. They should ask for more money. I was one of the people who bought this device due to Apple’s advertised features. To this day, my 16 Pro is just as stupid as my iPhone 13. They tricked people into upgrading because the “Intelligence” features would only be for the 15 and 16 Pro.
I called Apple requesting to return my iPhone. When I bought it in store they sold me on the fact that it already had these features. Turns out, Apple won't accept my return and basically told me I am SOL.
What would you do if they said yes? I thought about doing that too, but if they accept my return I’ll be without a phone…
I'd go back to my previous phone and save my money until either the next generation of phone or switch to the s25 ultra, which already has most of the features.
At the same time, if you buy something solely based on ads, you're also part of the problem for not doing any research before buying an expensive phone like this.
They do have a point I have a iPhone with no Apple intelligence