IT·Science News

Apple Intelligence finally comes to China, but without the new Siri

Apple will launch Apple Intelligence in China with iOS 27.3, The Verge reports, citing an announcement on Apple’s Chinese newsroom website first reported by MacRumors. The features will appear first in an iOS 27.3 beta set to launch on 4 November, with a full release scheduled for December.

Two weeks earlier, China tech site TechNode, citing Bloomberg, reported the December plan and the first features: writing tools, notification summaries, Genmoji and the Clean Up photo-editing tool. The China version is powered by Alibaba’s Qwen and Tongyi Wanxiang models, while Apple works with Baidu on search and Siri-related functions. Apple reportedly received permits on 29 September for recent iPhones to use the Alibaba models.

Hong Kong tech site unwire.hk stressed what is missing: the redesigned Siri assistant, built on Google Gemini models, will not launch in China, and Image Playground is also absent. It noted that the launch was first expected in May 2025 and was delayed several times by regulatory issues, while Chinese rivals such as Huawei already offer AI features.

How each outlet framed it

• The Verge — confirmation: firm dates for the beta and the full release.
• TechNode — the partnerships: Alibaba’s models and Baidu’s help, after a long approval process.
• unwire.hk — the gap: Chinese users get features released in the US about two years ago, while the new Siri stays out.

Where the reports differ: TechNode lists Genmoji among the launch features, while unwire.hk reports that the newer Genmoji is not included.