Apple has agreed to pay $95 million to settle a 5-year-old civil lawsuit that accused the Cupertino tech giant of using Siri to eavesdrop on people with iPhone and other Apple devices. According to the lawsuit, Apple inadvertently recorded customers’ private conversations using its digital assistant and human employees potentially overheard them. If US District Judge Jeffrey White approves the proposed settlement , the impacted users will get up to $20 per Apple device for up to five Siri-enabled devices, such as the iPhone and Apple Watch.
The initial class action lawsuit centers around customer complaints that Siri was unintentionally activated and a 2019 report from the Guardian alleged Apple third-party contractors regularly heard voice recordings while working on Siri quality control. According to the investigation, this included “confidential medical information, drug deals, and recordings of couples having sex”. While Siri is supposed to activate upon hearing the wake word “Hey Siri” , reported instances said Siri was triggered by other things like the sound of a zipper or Apple Watch being raised in a certain way.
Apple users claimed that their private conversations were recorded and shared with third-party advertisers. Users would then see ads for a certain product they mentioned in the conversations. They even saw ads for the surgical treatment they were discussing with their doctors. After several complaints, Apple issued a formal apology letter saying it would improve Siri’s privacy protections and wouldn’t save voice recordings any further.
Eligible Users
If approved, US users who owned or bought a Siri-enabled iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple Watch, Mac, HomePod, or Apple TV between September 17th, 2014 and December 31st, 2024 would be eligible for the compensation. In addition to this, each user should meet another eligibility criteria. They should swear under oath saying they accidentally activated Siri during a confidential or private conversation. The individual payouts are dependent on how many people file the claim.
Kanika has been a loyal iPhone user since 2014 and loves everything Apple. With a Master’s in Computer Applications, passion for technology, and over five years of experience in writing, she landed at Beebom as an Apple Ecosystem Writer. She specializes in writing How To’s, troubleshooting guides, App features, and roundups for Apple users to help them make the best use of their gadgets. When not writing, she loves to try out new recipes and enjoy some family time.
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For quite a long time now, we’ve heard a lot about Apple’s upcoming mid-ranger iPhone SE 4 . The next generation of entry-level iPhone is expected to arrive in March 2025, but it has been rumored to carry a different name, something we weren’t expecting.
According to a post from Fixed Focus Digital, the successor of the iPhone SE 3 will be called the iPhone 16E, rather than the iPhone SE 4 we all were expecting. Also, on December 31, another well-known leaker Majin Bu cited a source that said Apple will unveil a new iPhone in 2025 which will be called the iPhone 16E, not the iPhone SE 4.
At the moment, it’s unclear if the name would use a capital E or a small E, or Apple might end up calling it an iPhone 16 (SE) or iPhone 16 SE. Also, this rumor might not turn out to be true and the tech tian might stick to its original iPhone SE branding.
It’s worth knowing that Fixed Focus Digital doesn’t have a proven record of Apple rumors yet. Before the iPhone 16 launch, they claimed that the Pro models would be available in a new Bronze finish, which ended up being the new Dessert Titanium. On the other hand, Fixed Focus Digital was wrong with the number of color options for the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus. If Apple launched the upcoming model with the iPhone 16 chassis, the rumors of the iPhone 16E would prove to be accurate. As of now, it’s better to take this rumor with a pinch of salt.
If we keep aside the naming rumors, we’ve got an idea of what the device would look like and perform like. The iPhone SE 4 might take design inspiration from the iPhone 14 to feature a nice 6.1-inch OLED screen with Face ID support. Other features may include a newer A-series chip, 48MP primary camera, USB-C port , and 8GB RAM for Apple Intelligence features. Also, we might get to see the programmable Action Button which first debuted with the iPhone 15 Pro models. Furthermore, it could be the first device to arrive with an Apple-designed 5G modem.
The iPhone SE 3, which debuted almost 3 years ago looks quite outdated with an iPhone 8 chassis, thick black bezels around the display, Touch ID, and a Lightning port. Apple currently sells it for $429. Despite a share of worthy upgrades, the Cupertino tech giant won’t raise the price dramatically. Yes, the price may go up slightly, but the upcoming affordable iPhone would bear a price tag below $500.
Kanika has been a loyal iPhone user since 2014 and loves everything Apple. With a Master’s in Computer Applications, passion for technology, and over five years of experience in writing, she landed at Beebom as an Apple Ecosystem Writer. She specializes in writing How To’s, troubleshooting guides, App features, and roundups for Apple users to help them make the best use of their gadgets. When not writing, she loves to try out new recipes and enjoy some family time.
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- Apple and Google have officially confirmed their team-up for the next-gen Siri AI.
- The Cupertino Giant will be using Google’s Gemini for a more personalized Siri model as well as Apple Intelligence features.
- We can expect the next-gen Siri to come out with iOS 26.4, sometime in March or April.
Apple has officially confirmed joining forces with Google to use its Gemini AI model to power the next-generation Siri. It will offer a more personalized experience and will be coming out with the iOS 26.4 update. Apple also plans to leverage Gemini’s capabilities for other Apple Intelligence features as well, later down the line.
The Next-Gen Siri will be powered by Google’s Gemini AI
Apple officially confirmed that it will be partnering with Google in a statement to CNBC . Here’s what it stated, “After careful evaluation, we determined that Google’s technology provides the most capable foundation for Apple Foundation Models, and we’re excited about the innovative new experiences it will unlock for our users.”
Later, Google also shared a post on X confirming the tie-up, “Apple and Google have entered into a multi-year collaboration under which the next generation of Apple Foundation Models will be based on Google’s Gemini models and cloud technology. These models will help power future Apple Intelligence features, including a more personalized Siri coming this year.”
Image Credit: X/@NewsFromGoogle
Both statements clearly mention that the Cupertino Giant will be using Gemini to power its assistant Siri. This was already rumored, as Apple’s attempts to acquire Perplexity went nowhere. With Gemini, Siri will get a major AI update . It will be able to handle more nuanced conversations and provide better results. Something long-time Apple users have been asking for years.
The next-gen Siri will arrive with the iOS 26.4 update, which will launch sometime in March or April. And it is only going to be available for Apple Intelligence-supported devices .
Something else worth noting is how Google’s statement mentions that Gemini will power Apple Intelligence features. This leads us to believe that Apple could use Gemini’s multi-modal capabilities for its Writings tools , Image Playground , and Message summaries, too.
Elon Musk Not Happy With Apple and Google Tie Up
xAI CEO Elon Musk also responded to Google’s announcement post on X, sharing his thoughts on the matter by saying, “This seems like an unreasonable concentration of power for Google, given that they also have Android and Chrome.” Though we don’t expect either Apple or Google to respond to Elon, we will update the situation as it progresses.
It is worth noting that xAI is the company behind Grok, which is in hot water currently due to its inappropriate image generation fiasco , and has been getting backlash from multiple news outlets, X users, and even government authorities.
With over 4 year of experience under the belt, I cover all facets of consumer tech, from smartphones to other consumer electronics, our favorite social media apps, as well as the growing realm of AI and LLMs. As an Apps and AI writer app Beebom, I provide my expertise in all these areas, weaving stories that help you get familiar with the tech around you. But you will find me playing NYT daily puzzles in my free time.
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