Apple plans to launch its Apple Intelligence suite in mainland China this December via the iOS 27.3 update. The initial release will include features originally introduced in the US two years ago for iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices. The company received official generative AI service filing approval on July 8 and obtained a full launch permit on September 29.
The rollout involves strategic partnerships with local tech giants. Apple is collaborating with Baidu for search and Siri-related functionalities, including visual search capabilities identified in iOS 27 beta code. Additionally, Alibaba will integrate its AI models, specifically Tongyi Wanxiang and Qwen, into Apple's ecosystem to provide text and image processing for users in China.
The Apple Intelligence system consists of a 3-billion-parameter on-device model combined with high-performance cloud models. While the Chinese release covers core features like text proofreading and image generation, it will not include the advanced Siri AI assistant unveiled at WWDC 2026. Apple management currently remains cautious regarding the timeline for the full Siri AI launch in China and Europe.
