Apple Intelligence for China: it should be ready by summer
Apple is stepping up the pace with its special AI system for China. With the help of local partners, it should work faster than the smarter Siri.
Chinese flag next to an iPhone: Apple Intelligence to boost business.
(Image: oasisamuel / Shutterstock)
Apple's timetable for the implementation of Apple Intellligence in China seems to be set. As Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman writes in his newsletter on Sunday, everything continues to look like "mid-year". It is likely to be iOS 18.5; there are already initial details in iOS 18.4 that point to an implementation. "If there is a delay, Apple has iOS 18.6 – known as "G" – ready for the summer."
Apple Intelligence in China is different
In contrast to the USA, Europe and other markets for its AI system, which Apple opened up with iOS 18.4, Apple Intelligence works differently in China. Apple is being forced by the Chinese government to involve a local partner. This is likely to be Alibaba, following talks with other providers. Apple CEO Tim Cook recently praised the Chinese AI model DeepSeek. Apple is also said to have looked at this beforehand.
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Apple Intelligence will continue to use the company's local AI models on the device in China, with extra censorship mechanisms built in for China, as Gurman writes. These in turn are to be supplied by Alibaba. Alibaba could also be used as a ChatGPT replacement for Siri. Apple will also use Baidu Inc. instead of OpenAI and Google for Visual Intelligence and Siri.
Eastern and Western Apple Intelligence
Apple hopes to use its AI system to boost iPhone sales in China, which had recently fallen again. Devices purchased in China can only use the local AI, but not the western Apple Intelligence. The company has apparently implemented a hard geo-blockade for this purpose.
Apple has not yet publicly commented on its China AI – The confirmation by Alibaba Chairman Joe Tsai in mid-February was considered unusual. He had emphasized how tough the selection process had been before the Alibaba model Qwen was allowed onto the iPhone. Among other things, Baidu could help Apple with search queries; it is already the default search on iPhones in China, where Google has been withdrawing from the market for years.
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