Apple Intelligence will soon be available in China, as Alibaba has just released its new Qwen3 AI models for Apple’s MLX architecture. The announcement was spotted by Reuters. With this updated model, Apple devices in the country will be equipped with Apple Intelligence for the first time. While Apple has supported the Chinese language since iOS 18.4, the company’s AI feature set hasn’t yet been made available to Chinese users.
In February, Bloomberg explained the deal between Apple and Alibaba, as the Chinese government requires Apple to use local models to power its Apple Intelligence platform. At that time, the report said these requirements only apply to devices purchased in China. Those who bought an iPhone, iPad, or Mac overseas will continue using the original version of Apple Intelligence.
With Apple Intelligence launching in China, Alibaba will “censor and filter AI output to comply with requirements from the Chinese government.” Meanwhile, Baidu will manage Visual Intelligence and search features.
Currently, Apple Intelligence includes three main types of AI. On-device models will remain Apple’s, although Alibaba will provide a layer on top that censors material the government objects to. Server-side features will rely on GBCD’s iCloud partner, and Baidu will manage Visual Intelligence.
While a release date for Apple Intelligence in China is still unclear, it may be part of iOS 18.6, which is expected to roll out in about a month. Testing has just begun alongside the iOS 26 beta. While we don’t expect many new features in the latest iOS 18 update, the Apple Intelligence expansion could be one of them.
For iOS 26, Apple has a few tweaks in store, including:
- ChatGPT improvements: Users can ask ChatGPT questions about what they’re viewing onscreen to get more information.
- Visual Intelligence: This feature now works more like Gemini’s Circle to Search. For example, you can screenshot a photo of a jacket and then search on Google for similar images or places to buy it.
- Genmoji and Image Playground updates: You can now mix emoji, Genmoji, and descriptions to create something new. Combine a Genmoji with a standard emoji or a description for unique results.
Below, you can learn more about the upcoming Apple Intelligence features in iOS 26.
