Apple’s artificial intelligence features are finally heading to China, but without the most significant updates to Siri.
After two years of waiting, Apple Intelligence has finally received approval to enter China. Apple CEO Tim Cook told Chinese outlet The Paper that the company had secured approval and that a beta version would be released later in October. The initial rollout will include live translation, writing tools and the Clean Up photo-editing feature, but not the new AI-powered version of Siri.
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In July, reports indicated that China’s cyberspace regulator had registered Apple Intelligence for use on iPhones, clearing a major regulatory hurdle. However, Apple had not announced a launch date at the time. The latest announcement provides a clearer timeline.
Siri for navigation
According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple plans a broader rollout in December with the iOS 27.3 update, bringing the first set of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone, iPad and Mac users in mainland China.
These features are expected to include writing tools, notification summaries, Genmoji and the removal of unwanted objects from photos.
The new Siri excluded from launch
However, the Chinese version of Apple Intelligence will not include the new AI-powered Siri, which was launched in other regions this year with enhanced conversational capabilities, a better understanding of personal context, on-screen awareness and the ability to carry out tasks across apps. Bloomberg reported that Apple does not expect the new Siri to arrive in China anytime soon.
The Chinese launch is also expected to exclude Image Playground, newer image expansion features, an upgraded version of Genmoji and some of the latest writing tools. Text generation will also be restricted in certain apps.
Apple Intelligence will operate differently from a technical standpoint in China. Apple has partnered with Alibaba, whose Qwen and Tongyi Wanxiang models have received approval for use on the latest iPhones.
Alibaba will also provide controls tailored to local regulatory requirements, while Baidu is working with Apple on search functions and features related to Siri.
Apple’s Chinese website still lists several Apple Intelligence features as unavailable in mainland China. Nevertheless, the platform is finally moving closer to overcoming one of the biggest regional obstacles to its rollout.
Source: Al-Ghad.
