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Apple Intelligence is coming to China, with Alibaba's Qwen inside Siri
Apple says the first Apple Intelligence features reach iPhone users in China with iOS 27.3 in December, with testing in the iOS developer beta from 4 November. Alibaba's Qwen will be available inside Siri, Writing Tools and Visual Intelligence, but Siri AI and Apple's other WWDC 2026 features are not part of the rollout.
Apple has announced that the first Apple Intelligence features are coming to iPhone users in China, in a press release on its China newsroom dated 31 October[1]. Testing opens with the latest iOS developer beta on 4 November, and the features ship to users in China with the public release of iOS 27.3 in December[1].
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Qwen inside Siri, Writing Tools and Visual Intelligence
Apple says it has partnered with Alibaba to add support for Qwen in some Apple Intelligence experiences, so users in China can use it directly in Siri, Writing Tools and Visual Intelligence, including text and image understanding[1]. For certain requests Siri can call on Qwen's knowledge, users can ask questions about photos and documents such as PDFs and presentations, and a compose feature lets Qwen write original content from scratch inside system-wide Writing Tools[1]. Users get access by signing in to a Qwen account or using Sign in with Apple[1]. The Verge notes the setup resembles the ChatGPT integration Apple shipped elsewhere in 2024[2].
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What China gets, and what it doesn't
The first wave covers Live Translation in Messages, FaceTime and Phone, Writing Tools, Visual Intelligence, Clean Up in Photos, Genmoji, natural-language photo search, Memory movies, Priority Messages and summaries in Mail, Smart Reply, notification summaries, Priority Notifications, the Reduce Interruptions Focus, audio transcript summaries in Notes, call transcript summaries and Type to Siri[1]. Apple says the rest of Apple Intelligence runs on generative models it built itself[1].
Missing are Siri AI and the other next-generation Apple Intelligence features Apple announced at WWDC 2026[1]. 9to5Mac points out that Apple has only committed to 4 November as the start of China testing, not necessarily as the date of iOS 27.3 beta 1 itself[3].
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Why it matters
China is one of Apple's biggest iPhone markets, and it has gone without Apple Intelligence since the features launched elsewhere. Rather than one global assistant, Apple is shipping its own on-device and server models plus a slot for a local partner model, with Qwen filling it in China. Developers whose apps lean on Writing Tools or Siri should test the 4 November beta, because some answers their users in China see will come from Qwen rather than only Apple's models.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions.
01When does Apple Intelligence launch in China?
Apple says testing starts with the latest iOS developer beta on 4 November 2026, and the features reach users in China with the public release of iOS 27.3 in December 2026.
02What does Alibaba's Qwen do inside Apple Intelligence?
Apple says users in China can use Qwen directly in Siri, Writing Tools and Visual Intelligence, covering text and image understanding. Siri can tap Qwen's knowledge for certain requests, users can ask about photos and documents including PDFs and presentations, and a compose feature in Writing Tools lets Qwen write original content from scratch. Access requires signing in with a Qwen account or Sign in with Apple.
03Is Siri AI included?
No. Apple says the update doesn't include Siri AI or the other next-generation Apple Intelligence features it announced at WWDC 2026. China gets earlier features such as Live Translation, Writing Tools, Clean Up, Genmoji, notification summaries and Type to Siri.
04Which devices are supported?
iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone 16 and later, iPhone Air and iPhone Duo, with both Siri and the device language set to English or Simplified Chinese. Apple says other platforms will follow after the necessary approvals.
05Which model powers the rest of Apple Intelligence in China?
Apple says Apple Intelligence is driven by generative models Apple built itself. Qwen is added for specific experiences rather than replacing Apple's models.
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