Gadgets · 2026-10-30
Apple Intelligence is coming to China with iOS 27.3
Apple is bringing some Apple Intelligence features to users in China, first in an iOS 27.3 beta and then in a full release expected in December.
When it arrives
Apple announced on its Chinese newsroom website that Apple Intelligence will come to China with iOS 27.3. The features will first appear in an iOS 27.3 beta set to launch on November 4. The full iOS 27.3 release is scheduled for December.
Which features are available
The new AI-powered Siri will not arrive in China yet. Instead, Apple is launching several earlier Apple Intelligence features: notification summaries, real-time translation, rewriting and proofreading tools, visual intelligence, and removing objects from photos.
Qwen chatbot
Apple also said it worked with Alibaba to add support for its Qwen chatbot in some experiences. For comparison, iOS already integrates OpenAI's ChatGPT, which launched in 2024.
Why it is possible now
Apple Intelligence was approved in China in July, which signaled that the launch was getting close. Reuters reported in August that Apple trained its own language model specifically for the Chinese market.
Useful from the source
- Apple newsroom (Chinese site) — Apple's official announcement of the Apple Intelligence launch in China with iOS 27.3.
- MacRumors: iOS 27.3 beta coming next week — MacRumors report on the release date of the iOS 27.3 beta.
- Reuters: Apple trains its own AI model for China — Reuters report on Apple building its own language model for the Chinese market with Alibaba's support.
Sources: 🔗 The Verge — AI