New Delhi, Aug. 1 -- CUPERTINO - For two years, Apple told iPhone buyers that a smarter Siri was on the way, included with the device and covered by the hardware they already paid for. On Thursday, Tim Cook changed that promise. On his final earnings call as chief executive, Cook disclosed that Apple plans to charge users extra for enhanced Siri AI through tiered iCloud+ subscriptions, creating a paywall for capabilities the company has positioned as standard since announcing Apple Intelligence at WWDC 2024.

no pricing, no feature breakdown, no clarity on what remains available to base iCloud+ subscribers versus those who pay for higher tiers.

The timing carries weight. Apple settled a $250 million class-action lawsuit earlier this year...