Apple Launches AI Features in China via iOS 27.3
Apple is introducing Apple Intelligence features to the Chinese market in December through the iOS 27.3 update, supported by Alibaba Group Holding.
Apple Inc. will launch its artificial intelligence features in China in December, coinciding with the release of the iOS 27.3 update. The company has already released iOS 27.3 beta 1, introducing the first Apple Intelligence capabilities to users in the region after a two-year gap since the initial U.S. launch in October 2024.
Supported by Alibaba Group Holding, the rollout introduces approximately 18 features, including writing tools for summarizing and proofreading, Genmoji, visual intelligence, and real-time translation for calls and messages. Productivity updates include email and notification summaries, as well as audio transcription summaries in the Notes app. However, Apple is prioritizing features from iOS 18 and iOS 26 for this market, meaning the latest Siri AI capabilities and other next-generation services available internationally remain excluded.
The move follows a 29 percent year-on-year surge in China sales for the iPhone 18 Pro series, contrasting with sales declines in the United States and Japan. This deployment intensifies competition with domestic firms like ZTE, which has already released the NaviX Ultra, a mass-produced AI-agent smartphone powered by ByteDance's Doubao AI Phone Assistant.
