Apple’s AI features are finally heading to mainland China. Apple and Alibaba announced on Saturday, October 31, that Alibaba’s Qwen models will power Apple Intelligence for iPhone users in China, with testing starting on Wednesday, November 4, and a wider rollout planned for December.

Here is what we know about how it works, which iPhones are supported and what will not be included at first, based on reports from China Daily, Xinhua and TechNode.

The timeline

According to the reports, Qwen-powered features will be available for testing from November 4 in the latest iOS developer beta. A broader rollout is planned for December with the official release of iOS 27.3. Apple has not given an exact December date in the coverage we reviewed.

Where Qwen shows up

Qwen will be built into three Apple Intelligence experiences:

  • Siri: for some requests, Siri can call on Qwen’s broader knowledge to answer directly. Users can also ask questions about selected photos and documents, including PDF files and presentations.
  • Writing Tools: a “Compose with Qwen” function can generate original content from a prompt, including text and images.
  • Visual Intelligence: Apple’s camera-based feature gets an “Ask Qwen” option to identify objects and places or get more information about them.

Users can sign in with a Qwen account or with Sign in with Apple.

What else is in the first release

Beyond Qwen, the initial China rollout will include real-time translation, Clean Up for removing unwanted objects from photos, memory videos and natural-language photo search, along with smart emoji generation, notification and email summaries, smart replies, and tools for rewriting, proofreading and summarizing text. AppleInsider adds that Notes gains audio transcription and calls can be transcribed and summarized. It also describes the November 4 release as an open beta, while other outlets call it a developer beta, so check Apple’s own notes for the exact access details.

The December update will not include the more advanced Siri AI capabilities or other next-generation Apple Intelligence features that Apple unveiled at its Worldwide Developers Conference this year, according to China Daily.

Which iPhones are supported

The first batch of features will be available on supported iPhones, including the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, the iPhone 16 and later models, the iPhone Air and the iPhone Duo. The device and Siri language need to be set to English or Simplified Chinese.

Xinhua adds that the feature will be available to users who buy an Apple Intelligence-capable iPhone in China, or whose device location and Apple Account country or region are both set to China.

What about privacy?

Apple and Alibaba say that users stay in control. Qwen is optional, users can decide whether to enable it and what information to share, and Apple says users will be asked for permission before a question, document or image is sent to Qwen. Alibaba said it will not use requests or generated responses from the integration to train its models.

The regulatory step

China’s cyberspace authority completed the filing of seven on-device generative AI services for smartphones in July, including Apple Intelligence, which cleared a significant regulatory hurdle. Alibaba said at that time that Qwen would be incorporated into Apple Intelligence across iOS, iPadOS, macOS and visionOS in China.

Why this is a big deal

Apple Intelligence was first unveiled at WWDC in 2024, more than two years ago, and China has been one of the largest markets without it. Xinhua quotes an AI expert from Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications who says this is the first time a top global consumer hardware maker has used a Chinese large model as its primary system-level AI backbone in the Chinese market.

What to watch next

Developers will be the first to try it on November 4. Watch for feedback on speed, language quality and how often Siri hands requests to Qwen, plus details of the December release date.

Wrap-up

For iPhone owners in China, the long wait for Apple’s AI tools is nearly over. For everyone else, it is a clear example of how global tech companies adapt AI features to local rules and partners. We will update this story if Apple or Alibaba share more.

Image: Shanghai skyline unsplash by Adi Constantin via Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0