Apple sets November 4 beta launch for AI features in China
The iOS 27.3 update will bring selected Apple Intelligence tools to compatible iPhones in China, with a public release scheduled for December.
Selected Apple Intelligence tools will reach iPhones in China through the first developer beta of iOS 27.3 on November 4, Apple said. The company also announced a December release for the public, though it gave no exact date.
Apple said support will cover the iPhone 15 Pro and newer models. Available features will include Genmoji, Clean Up and Writing Tools, as well as Visual Intelligence. Notification Summaries, Priority Notifications and Live Translation with AirPods are also included.
The rollout has limits: Apple said iOS 27.3 in China will not include Siri AI or other Apple Intelligence capabilities unveiled at WWDC 2026. Image Playground will also be unavailable in China.
Separately, Apple announced a partnership with Alibaba to support its Qwen AI assistant in Visual Intelligence, Siri and Writing Tools. Availability beyond iPhones remains subject to approval: the company said it must receive the necessary approvals before offering Apple Intelligence on Macs, iPads or other devices in China.
