Apple Begins Testing AI Features in China Ahead of iOS 27.3 Launch
Key Facts
Apple began testing the first set of Apple Intelligence features in China on November 4 through the latest iOS developer beta, ahead of making them available to users with the official iOS 27.3 release in December. The company said the system runs on generative models developed by Apple, while Alibaba’s Qwen model will support selected experiences within its tools. These experiences include Siri, writing tools and visual intelligence, enabling the system to understand text and images in specific use cases. The launch follows the service’s registration for use on iPhone devices in China, where regulations require generative AI services to be registered before being offered to the public. Apple said support for other platforms will be available after the necessary approvals are obtained.
The set includes tools for real-time translation, rewriting, proofreading and summarizing text, as well as visual intelligence to help users learn more about objects around them. It also includes a tool to remove distracting elements from photos and the ability to create Genmoji. Apple is adding email and notification summaries to the suite, while the Notes app automatically creates summaries of audio recordings. The features also include call transcript summaries, bringing text, images and some audio and calling functions together in the first rollout. The company is offering these functions within a system powered by its generative models, with selected tasks handled by Qwen.
For specific requests, Siri will be able to connect to Qwen for answers, according to Apple. Users can ask the model questions about images or documents, including PDFs and presentations. Access to Qwen requires signing in to a service account or using Sign in with Apple. The integration places Alibaba’s model in some of the usage flows offered by Apple’s tools, while Apple’s own models remain the primary engine behind Apple Intelligence. Alibaba told Reuters that Qwen would be integrated into the system across iPhone, iPad, Mac and Vision Pro devices in China. Reuters also reported that Apple is working with Baidu to develop features for Chinese users.
The list of eligible devices is limited to iPhone 16 and newer models, iPhone Duo, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone Air. Siri and the device language must be set to English and Simplified Chinese to use the features. By contrast, iOS 27.3 in China will not include Siri AI or the next-generation Apple Intelligence features that the company announced at WWDC 2026. These conditions set clear limits on the initial availability in terms of devices, language settings and the functions users will receive. Apple said support for other platforms would follow once the necessary approvals are secured, without specifying a date.
The background to the partnership between Apple and Alibaba dates to February 2025, when Alibaba’s chairman confirmed that Apple had chosen his company after talks with several Chinese firms. The rollout was delayed as Apple worked to adapt the features to Chinese regulations, according to Reuters. China required large language models and generative AI services to be registered with regulators before they could be made available to the public. In the month before Reuters reported the registration, the Cyberspace Administration of China listed Apple Intelligence for use on iPhone, removing a regulatory hurdle to its availability on Chinese phones. Reuters reported that the absence of AI features on iPhones in China had been seen as a factor weighing on sales, as some consumers turned to local brands offering built-in assistants.
The launch comes in a market where Chinese smartphone shipments fell 10% year over year in the third quarter of 2026, to their lowest level for a third quarter since 2012, according to Counterpoint Research. The firm attributed the decline to higher memory prices, which raised component costs and exacerbated supply shortages. Huawei led the market with a 21.3% share after its shipments grew 19% year over year, while Apple ranked second with a 19.5% share, according to preliminary Counterpoint data. Sales of the iPhone 18 Pro series rose 23.5% in its first three weeks compared with the iPhone 17 Pro series. Counterpoint said Huawei officially raised prices starting September 1, after shipment growth earlier in part of the quarter benefited from stable prices, and that the increase could weigh on fourth-quarter sales.
Another report cited by Reuters, from IDC, estimated that smartphone shipments in China fell 15.4% year over year to 57.9 million units in the third quarter of 2026. According to IDC data, Apple had a 17.8% share as its shipments fell 4.3%, while the firm said weak consumer spending and higher prices for memory chips and other components weighed on the market. Reuters noted that phone makers passed costs on to consumers, pushing retail prices higher despite the contraction in shipments. In trading on November 3, 2026, Apple shares closed at $331.9, while Alibaba’s U.S.-listed shares closed at $100.36, according to EL7 data. The features are scheduled to reach users in China with the official iOS 27.3 release in December.