iPhone in China to Stand Alone, Feature Unavailable in Other Countries
iPhone users in China have finally received good news. Apple’s generative artificial intelligence service, Apple Intelligence, has officially obtained registration from China’s internet regulator, clearing the path for the launch of the long-awaited feature with a touch of technology from local giants such as Baidu and Alibaba.
This certainty emerged after China’s cyberspace regulator approved the registration of Apple’s AI service. This step is an absolute requirement in China: every large language model (LLM) and generative AI service must be registered and meet data security and content standards before it can be accessed by the public.
Until now, Apple’s advanced AI features could not be fully enjoyed in China because they did not meet local regulatory requirements. Now, this registration status marks the official step for the service to be present in Apple’s second-largest market in the world.
In accordance with applicable regulations, Apple will not use the native AI model developed at its headquarters for the Chinese market. According to sources cited by Reuters (16/7/2026), Apple Intelligence will rely on the capabilities of two local technology giants, namely Baidu’s Ernie and Alibaba’s Qwen.
Both local companies have confirmed this collaboration. Alibaba stated its Qwen model will be integrated into all of Apple’s operating systems in China, from iOS on the iPhone, iPadOS on the iPad, macOS on Mac computers, to visionOS for the Vision Pro device. Meanwhile, a Baidu spokesperson confirmed the company is also collaborating to develop various core Apple Intelligence features for users in the country.
In this way, features such as text rewriting, document summarisation, and device control via voice commands will operate by utilising local technology that has been adapted to the language context and needs of Chinese users.
Strengthening iPhone’s Position in the Chinese Market
The presence of this AI feature is considered very important for Apple’s position in China. Recently, competition in the smartphone market there has become increasingly tight with the presence of local rivals such as Huawei, Xiaomi, and Vivo, which have already launched built-in AI services.
In fact, Apple recently recorded strong shipment growth in the second quarter of this year, up 24.4% year-on-year. The arrival of Apple Intelligence is predicted to further boost the appeal of Apple products in the eyes of Chinese consumers who have long awaited features equivalent to those available in other countries.
As of now, neither the regulator nor Apple has released a definite launch date for this service to the Chinese public.
In a separate development, Chinese authorities also granted registration approval for the Nubia-Doubao smart device developed by ZTE. The Nubia brand is ZTE’s mobile phone line, and this device was developed through a partnership with ByteDance, the developer of TikTok and Douyin, with a primary focus on the integration of advanced AI technology.