Abstract:
Apple plans to introduce Apple Intelligence (Apple Intelligence) to the Chinese mainland market through the iOS 27.3 update expected to be released in December this year. Bloomberg reports that this launch comes about two years after Apple first released related artificial intelligence capabilities. However, the first batch of features open to Chinese users will be subject to certain restrictions. Features such as the upgraded Siri AI, image generation tool Image Playground, and new version of Genmoji are not expected to be launched simultaneously, and the text generation tool may only provide limited capabilities.
If this plan is finally implemented, it will mean substantial progress in the implementation of Apple Intelligence in mainland China. Previously, Apple has launched related functions in multiple markets around the world. However, due to China's different regulatory requirements for generative artificial intelligence services, users in mainland China have been unable to use the complete Apple Intelligence functions normally. This situation is expected to change by the end of the year as Chinese regulatory authorities gradually approve related services and Apple cooperates with local Chinese technology companies.
According to the South China Morning Post report on October 14, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology recently issued a network access license to Apple, allowing it to introduce Alibaba’s Tongyi Qwen (Qwen) and Tongyi Wanxiang models into related iPhone products, paving the way for the official launch of Apple Intelligence in the Chinese market. According to the report, related devices include the new iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro and some previously launched iPhone models.
Apple will launch Apple Intelligence-related functions as early as 2024, and will gradually open them to users starting from iOS 18.1. However, due to the specific regulatory system for generative artificial intelligence services in mainland China, Apple cannot directly introduce services for other markets into China. In order to meet local requirements, companies need to cooperate with local Chinese companies and ensure that relevant models and services comply with regulatory requirements.
Previously, Apple has cooperated with Alibaba and Baidu to explore technical solutions to provide artificial intelligence functions in the Chinese market. Relevant cooperation involves not only model capabilities, but also issues such as service deployment, data processing and continuous updates. Chinese regulatory authorities need to approve relevant services, and subsequent updates to the model may also require ongoing supervision.
Compared with competitors such as Huawei, Xiaomi, and OPPO that already provide a variety of artificial intelligence functions in mobile phones, Apple previously lacked generative artificial intelligence services of the same scale in the Chinese market. This gap not only affects users’ evaluation of mobile phone functions, but may also affect consumers’ choices of different brands when switching phones. If Apple Intelligence can be officially launched in China, it will help Apple make up for this shortcoming and enhance the competitiveness of the iPhone in the Chinese market.
However, the first batch of features is not expected to cover all of the AI experiences Apple has launched in other markets. The report pointed out that the upgraded version of Siri AI will be temporarily absent, Image Playground and the new version of Genmoji will not be provided simultaneously, and the functional scope of the text generation tool is also limited. This means that even if Chinese users get Apple Intelligence at the end of the year, they may not be able to use all the features of the overseas version.
Such restrictions reflect the dual challenges Apple faces in the Chinese market: on the one hand, the company needs to meet local regulatory requirements; on the other hand, it must also be as consistent as possible with the global version in terms of functional experience, model capabilities, and service updates. Since the regulatory requirements for artificial intelligence services in mainland China are different from those in other regions, Apple needs to develop specialized technical solutions for the local market.
It is worth noting that the current information about the release time and specific functional scope mainly comes from media reports, and Apple has not officially announced the complete launch schedule of the mainland China version of Apple Intelligence. iOS 27.3 is expected to be launched in December, but the final release date, supported models, and actual open features may still change.
If Apple can launch the first batch of services before the end of the year as planned, mainland Chinese users will have the opportunity to use a series of officially integrated generative artificial intelligence functions on the iPhone for the first time. However, considering that Siri AI and some image generation capabilities are still expected to be absent, the first version is more likely to be a basic version that has been localized and adjusted, rather than a complete experience that is completely consistent with overseas markets.
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