Apple Intelligence Expected in Mainland China With iOS 27.3, but Without New Siri AI

December rollout would bring a limited set of AI tools

Apple is planning to introduce Apple Intelligence in mainland China in December through iOS 27.3, following regulatory permits issued on September 29 for recent iPhones to use Apple and Alibaba artificial intelligence models. The expected release would end a wait of roughly two years, but leave out the rebuilt Siri AI assistant and several newer features.

The first package is expected to include notification summaries, writing tools, the original Genmoji feature for creating custom emoji, and Clean Up in Photos, which removes unwanted objects from pictures. Image Playground, upgraded Genmoji, photo expansion and camera visual intelligence are expected to be absent. Some functions that generate text would also face restrictions in certain applications.

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology reportedly granted network access permits covering Alibaba's Tongyi Qianwen models, better known as Qwen, and Tongyi Wanxiang, its image and video generation technology. Updated device records include the iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro, alongside earlier compatible iPhones.

Apple has not publicly confirmed a precise launch date or a final feature list. December is the reported target for the software release, while the regulatory steps already described concern permission to support the technology on devices. For customers, the practical milestone will be the update that makes those features available.

Apple's approach combines a model developed for China with Alibaba's assistance, local controls over model updates, and work with Baidu on search and Siri functions. The result is expected to be a mainland version of Apple Intelligence with a narrower set of capabilities than the newer package offered elsewhere.

What users are expected to receive

Notification summaries would condense incoming alerts into shorter descriptions, helping users scan messages without opening every application. Writing tools would help revise or summarise text, although restrictions on text generation in some apps mean the experience could vary depending on where someone is working.

Photos Clean Up would let a user remove an unwanted object from an image, such as something distracting in the background. The system then attempts to fill the space with image content that fits its surroundings. Genmoji would allow users to create custom emoji from descriptions, with the initial mainland release expected to use the earlier version rather than the upgraded tool.

Apple introduced its first Apple Intelligence features through iOS 18.1. The planned China release largely draws from that original group of functions, rather than the more recent additions built around a stronger assistant and broader image capabilities.

Apple Intelligence features are already available in Hong Kong. Mainland China has followed a separate approval process involving model registration, content rules and device permits, leaving customers in the two markets with different access to the same branded service.

Why the new Siri is missing

The rebuilt Siri AI assistant is expected to be the largest omission. Apple is working with Baidu on search and some Siri functions, but the reported December package would exclude the newer assistant. No approval date has been given for its mainland release.

Image Playground, Apple's tool for generating images, would also be absent. Photo expansion, which generates material beyond the original edges of a picture, and visual intelligence through the camera are among the newer functions expected to remain unavailable.

Apple's newer Foundation Models developed with Gemini Frontier Models are also expected to be outside the China launch. A foundation model is the underlying AI system that can support several different tasks, such as understanding language or processing images. Changing that underlying system can change what a phone's software is able to do.

Earlier descriptions of the iPhone Duo launch highlighted the new Siri as a flagship feature, while the later mainland rollout plan specifically excludes it. Chinese buyers are therefore expected to receive the device before gaining access to that assistant, with the December update focused on the older Apple Intelligence tools.

Two regulators and several steps toward release

The Cyberspace Administration of China reportedly registered Apple's service in July, about 22 months after Apple Intelligence first became available elsewhere. The filing was made through Apple Technology Development (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. and described support for iPhones sold in mainland China.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology followed with device permits on September 29. These reported approvals cover iPhones supporting Apple Intelligence and the Alibaba models intended to help power the mainland service.

The sequence shows why approval has taken more than one step. Registering a generative AI service addresses the software and its regulatory status. Updating a phone's network access paperwork connects the approved technology to particular devices. Apple still has to deliver the consumer software that turns those permissions into usable features.

Apple Intelligence briefly appeared in mainland settings in March, before approval, and was then removed. In August, Apple also briefly published and withdrew instructions describing how Mac users in China could configure their computers to work with Qwen.

• March: Apple Intelligence briefly appeared in mainland settings and was withdrawn.
• July: Apple's mainland AI service reportedly completed registration with the Cyberspace Administration of China.
• September 2: The iPhone Duo reportedly received a trial approval.
• September 29: Updated permits reportedly added Apple and Alibaba AI registrations to several iPhone models.
• October 16: iPhone Duo orders were scheduled to open in 70 countries, including China.
• October 23: iPhone Duo shipments were scheduled to begin.
• December: Apple Intelligence is expected to arrive in mainland China through iOS 27.3.

What the device filings contain

Reported changes to the device records include three identifiers: 202506160057 for Apple Intelligence, 202410090024 for Tongyi Wanxiang, and 20230901 for Tongyi Qianwen. Together, they describe a planned service involving Apple's own technology and Alibaba's models.

The September 29 certificate renewals reportedly covered the iPhone Duo, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone Air, iPhone 17 and iPhone 18 Pro Max. Other accounts identify the iPhone 18 Pro among the devices covered by the updated permits.

Qwen is a family of large language models, AI systems trained to interpret language and produce responses. Tongyi Wanxiang focuses on generating visual content, including images and video. The two model families offer different building blocks for software features.

The expected consumer package remains narrower than those model capabilities. Although Tongyi Wanxiang appears in the reported approvals, Apple plans to leave Image Playground out of the initial release. The features customers receive will depend on the software Apple ships and the restrictions attached to it.

Alibaba and Baidu give Apple a local route

China's rules governing generative AI content, security assessments and algorithm registration have required Apple to develop a different arrangement from the one it uses in other markets. Apple reportedly trained its own China model with Alibaba's help, while Alibaba also helped build the controls required for approval.

Those controls include a filter that allows the Chinese government to approve continuing updates to the AI models. An AI model can change when its developer updates its training or behaviour. Review of those updates therefore affects the service after launch as well as before it.

Baidu is working with Apple on search and Siri related functions. Alibaba's role centres on models and regulatory controls, while Baidu contributes to other parts of the experience. The planned service brings those roles together inside Apple's software.

Qwen has been expected to support Apple Intelligence across compatible iPhones, iPads, Macs and Vision Pro devices sold in China. The December launch reporting, however, centres on iOS and iPhones, making the phone update the immediate focus for mainland customers.

Alibaba is expanding Qwen beyond phones at the same time. Its October glasses and earbuds launch brought the assistant into wearable devices with voice services, cameras and payments. Early Qwen Go trials also described an assistant pursuing airline compensation and shopping refunds. Those developments show how the local market is moving toward AI that carries out tasks, while Apple's first mainland package concentrates on writing, summaries and photo editing.

The launch meets a competitive market

Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo already offer AI services on phones in China. Apple has therefore been selling devices without a comparable built in package while competitors have had time to introduce and promote their own features.

Apple's recent sales figures nevertheless show substantial demand. Counterpoint Research put Apple's share of China's smartphone market at 33% during September 14 to 20, roughly one in three smartphones sold that week. Local sales accounts put first week purchases of Apple's new devices at 1.3 million.

The two figures describe different measures: the 33% figure is a share of a particular week's market, while 1.3 million is a reported count of new devices. Both place the planned AI rollout alongside an iPhone launch that had already attracted buyers.

Demand for the iPhone 18 Pro in China was also reported to be higher than demand for the iPhone 17 Pro a year earlier. Apple enters the December software window with strong interest in its hardware, even as the missing AI features remain a competitive disadvantage.

Apple Intelligence could make those phones more useful for existing owners and give prospective buyers additional reasons to consider them. Its effect on sales has not been measured. The narrower feature list also means Apple would still have work to do to match the breadth of AI services promoted by domestic rivals.

Why the iPhone Duo timing matters

The iPhone Duo's scheduled October launch puts the regulatory approvals close to an important hardware release. Apple chief operating officer Sabih Khan visited Foxconn Technology Park on October 11, ahead of the planned opening of orders on October 16 and shipments on October 23.

China accounts for more than a third of global sales of folding smartphones, making it a major market for Apple's reported first foldable device. Huawei and other Chinese manufacturers were reported to have seen increased demand for their folding phones after Apple announced the Duo.

The December AI target comes after the Duo's scheduled arrival in stores. Customers buying at launch would therefore be getting hardware first, with the planned Apple Intelligence package following through a software update.

Apple's timing brings two competitive efforts together: entering China's large market for folding phones and adding locally approved AI to its software. The first concerns the device's physical design. The second concerns what owners can do with it after purchase.

Europe is still waiting for Siri too

The European Union is another market where the rebuilt Siri AI assistant remains unavailable. Most of Apple's other newer AI features reportedly arrived there in September, but no release date has been given for the assistant on iPhones, iPads or Apple Watches.

Apple said in the footnotes of its HomeView announcement that it was working with the EU toward a Siri AI release. China's process has instead centred on local AI partners, registrations, content controls and approval of model updates.

Mainland customers now have a reported December target for a limited Apple Intelligence package. Customers awaiting the rebuilt Siri in either market still lack a date for that particular feature. Apple's AI rollout is consequently becoming a set of regional releases, with the tools available depending on both the device and the market.

Key Points

• Apple Intelligence is expected to launch in mainland China in December through iOS 27.3.
• The initial package is expected to include writing tools, notification summaries, original Genmoji and Photos Clean Up.
• The rebuilt Siri AI, Image Playground and several newer image and camera features are expected to be absent.
• September 29 device permits reportedly cover Apple Intelligence and Alibaba's Qwen and Tongyi Wanxiang models.
• Alibaba helped develop Apple's China model and controls for government approval of model updates; Baidu is working on search and Siri functions.
• The iPhone Duo was scheduled to ship on October 23, before the expected AI update.
• Apple has not publicly confirmed an exact consumer release date or final feature list.