Consumers in China had to use their iPhone 16 without Apple Intelligence, despite it being the most marketed feature of those phones. The iPhone 17 launch this month didn’t mention AI much, but it was still implied that it would lay a major role in the company’s products from the next year and onwards.
As such, iPhone 16 sales actually suffered quite a bit in China, and only recovered when Apple was forced to offer its phones at a discount. Even now, there are new problems for the iPhone in China. For example, the iPhone Air isn’t available in the country yet due to its reliance on e-SIM.
If the next two iOS 26 updates do bring Apple Intelligence to the iPhone in China, then the company will finally be delivering on its most marketed feature for last year’s flagship phones.
Of course, this hasn’t really been Apple’s fault. China made it very difficult to bring Apple Intelligence to the country, as the government wanted to be able to control what the AI features could do. The solution that Apple has been working on involves letting Chinese companies handle the AI tools on the iPhone, so that any “required” censorship can be applied.
Despite the lack of Apple Intelligence for a second generation’s launch in a row, the iPhone 17 has been very popular in China, much like it has been all around the world.
“Iconic Phones” is coming this Fall!
Rediscover some of the most unique and memorable phones of the last two decades! “Iconic Phones” is a beautifully illustrated book that we’ve been working on for over a year – and it’s coming out in just a couple short month!
