Hey Siri, where’s AI? Apple users left hanging after overhyped promises

Consumers have been left with expensive phones waiting for software updates. And while Apple has since admitted that its AI rollout is facing delays, that admission came after customers had already made their purchases.

Apple Intelligence, pitched as a transformative leap for Siri and other services by the company at its WWDC event last year, was supposed to launch in early 2025. It’s now March, and many promised features are nowhere to be found.

Customers are feeling angry and betrayed. They shelled out big bucks for AI-ready iPhones and are now accusing Apple of false advertising. The lawsuit in San Jose points to the intense hype Apple created around Apple Intelligence, particularly the September 2024 ad featuring Bella Ramsey demonstrating Siri’s supposedly new superpowers.

Apple quietly pulled that ad from YouTube, but in the age of the internet, where nothing truly disappears, you can still watch it:

One user commented: “Apple just deleted this advertisement on their official channel after it was confirmed these features are pushed until maybe next year (after the iPhone 17 releases). And they used this commercial to sell iPhone 16s…”

So, did people buy the AI-powered iPhones when they knew there wouldn’t be any AI in them for months? Absolutely. Even though the iPhone 16 models hit the market in late September 2024, the iPhone 16 Pro Max and iPhone 16 Pro fared at 5 and 9 in the top 10 best-selling premium smartphones in 2024. The iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 15 Pro (both AI compatible) occupied the second and third positions in the list, respectively.

That means people didn’t just buy iPhones expecting AI features, but they swallowed Apple’s AI hype whole with a soup ladle.

Today, a beta version (early version of Apple Intelligence) is available on devices in select countries. The company said the full set of AI features will be launched early this year, but Apple is backtracking on this promise. In early March 2025, Apple reportedly said that the more personalized Siri features, like the ones shown in the retracted ad, will be rolled out in the year ahead. When exactly, no one knows.

Its website has a disclaimer: “Additional features and Chinese (Simplified), English (India, Singapore), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil) and Spanish language support will be available in early April, with more platforms and languages coming over the course of the year, including Vietnamese. Some features may not be available in all regions or languages.”

It adds that some of these features “will become available in software updates in the coming months.”

But what is that magical feature that Apple isn’t able to crack? Let’s explain with an example. Suppose you ask Siri, “Hey, when’s Dad’s train getting in?” First, it needs to recognize who “Dad” is, which Apple’s assistant has been able to do for years. But then, things are trickier. Maybe your dad texted you his train details, or the info is buried in an email. Siri would need to scan your messages, figure out which is actually about his current trip, and then check real-time status updates to ensure it’s giving you the right arrival time.

Now, let’s say Siri confidently tells you, “Dad’s train arrives at 6:15 pm, and it’s on time.” Great. Except, what if it’s wrong? If you arrive at the station only to realize his train was delayed until 9 pm, that won’t cut it. If it actually arrived at 4 pm, and he’s been waiting for hours? That’s the problem with Siri today. It doesn’t have the common sense to handle these real-world questions. That’s what Apple promised at WWDC last year.

Apple Intelligence may still arrive later this year. Maybe next year. Maybe 2027 at this rate. But by the time it does, will anyone care? 

Steve Jobs is rolling in his grave

Every other week, a tech company drops a new AI model that’s supposedly ‘better’ than the last. But when you break it down, the difference in performance often amounts to a mere 3-4 percent—a rounding off dressed up as a technological revolution. 

This may be the reality of today’s relentless AI race, where even the most disciplined companies feel pressured to make bold claims before they’re ready.

Apple bit off more than it could chew in its scramble to catch up—something it rarely did in the past. The latest misstep makes Apple look like every other tech company scrambling to stay relevant in the AI arms race. It’s not just that Apple was late to AI. Google and Microsoft had been stuffing AI into every product imaginable long before Apple even acknowledged it. It’s that Apple tried to make up for lost time with a flashy promise it couldn’t keep. 

Apple’s reliability is under the lens because its products were supposed to “just work.” That’s what made Apple, well, Apple. If they showcased a feature, you could be reasonably sure it would work as advertised. However, when Apple starts acting like any other tech company, it risks losing the trust that made it special in the first place.

Apple, of course, hasn’t commented on the lawsuit yet. But given its history, expect a carefully worded statement about “wanting to provide the best experience possible.”

Rushing before products are even ready

AI launches don’t always go smoothly. Google’s Gemini has had its fair share of awkward moments, and Microsoft’s Recall feature for Copilot+ PCs faced backlash over privacy concerns. Even Amazon is trying to make Alexa+ seem more useful than another way to order toilet paper. But the key difference? These companies are shipping AI features.

Google is already integrating Gemini deeper into its products, letting users pull insights from their data. Microsoft has steadily rolled out AI-powered upgrades across Windows and its enterprise tools. 

Apple’s whole pitch for Apple Intelligence was that it would seamlessly integrate AI with personal data while maintaining privacy. That was supposed to be its competitive edge. But if the AI isn’t even here yet, what exactly should Apple users be excited about? 

The longer these delays drag on, the worse it looks for Apple, for it usually doesn’t announce products before they are ready. Bloomberg reported that even Apple executives called the delay “ugly” and “embarrassing.” 

If Apple’s leadership feels the heat, you know it’s bad.

Apple is also reportedly shaking up its AI leadership after delays and setbacks. This shakeup comes in the backdrop of Apple announcing that it would invest $500 billion into building an AI infrastructure. 

CEO Tim Cook has allegedly lost confidence in AI chief John Giannandrea, so he’s bringing in Vision Pro creator Mike Rockwell to take over Siri. Rockwell, known for solving complex technical problems, is expected to revamp Siri and integrate AI more deeply into Apple’s devices. According to the report, Giannandrea will stay at Apple but have reduced responsibilities.

Apple has told us, “If you don’t have an iPhone, you don’t have an iPhone.” But with all these missing AI features, even those with an iPhone don’t have one.