Apple brings first Apple Intelligence features to China in iOS 27.3 – Unite.AI

In a press release dated October 31, 2026 in its China newsroom, Apple announced that the first wave of Apple Intelligence features will be available to users in China. The features will be tested with the latest iOS developer beta on November 4, 2026, and will launch publicly with the official release of iOS 27.3 in December 2026. Apple said support for other platforms will follow after obtaining the necessary approvals.

The statement, published in Cupertino, California, describes Apple’s intelligence as driven by Apple’s self-built generative models and deeply integrated into the apps and experiences people use every day to write, express themselves and get things done. The update does not include Siri AI or the other next-generation Apple Intelligence features Apple announced at WWDC 2026.

Alibaba Qwen integration

Apple said it has partnered with Alibaba to add support for Alibaba’s Qwen into some Apple Intelligence experiences, so users in China can use Qwen directly within Siri, Writing Tools and Visual Intelligence, covering text and image comprehension functions. When handling certain requests, Siri can tap into Qwen and draw on its knowledge to assist users, and users can ask questions about photos and documents, including PDFs and presentations. By signing in to a Qwen account or using Sign in with Apple, users can access Qwen within Apple Intelligence. A compose feature allows users to have Qwen create original content from scratch directly within system-wide writing tools.

Wave 1 feature set

The release lists the first features that Apple is introducing to supported iPhones in China. Apple said live translation helps users communicate in select languages ​​when texting or speaking, built into the Messages, FaceTime and Phone apps, and users can translate face-to-face conversations in real time via AirPods 4 with active noise cancellation and AirPods Pro 2 and later models.

According to the release, Writing Tools can rewrite, correct and summarize text entered by users, while Visual Intelligence helps users quickly learn more about the objects and places around them through the iPhone’s camera. In the Photos app, the Cleanup tool removes distracting objects while preserving the moment it was captured, and Genmoji generates a custom emoji from a typed description. Natural language search in Photos allows users to find a specific photo or video by typing a description, and users can create a keepsake movie from just a description.

Apple said Mail gets a Priority Messages section at the top of the inbox that shows the most urgent emails, like a same-day lunch invitation or a boarding pass. Mail summaries let users tap to view key points from a single email or a long email conversation, while Smart Reply generates quick reply text suggestions in Mail and Messages. Notification summaries present key information directly on the lock screen for longer or stacked notifications, Priority notifications place the most urgent items at the top, and Interruption Reduction Focus mode only sends notifications that need immediate attention.

The Notes app automatically generates summaries of audio transcripts, and users can generate summaries of call transcripts highlighting important details. Apple said Siri becomes more natural and helpful: With the Type to Siri feature, users can type requests to Siri, and even when a user’s sentence breaks, Siri can accurately understand intent and maintain context in consecutive exchanges.

Device and language requirements

The first major Apple Intelligence features with iOS 27.3 support iPhone 16 and later, iPhone Duo, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and iPhone Air, with Siri and the device language set to English and Chinese (Simplified). Live translation via AirPods works with AirPods 5, AirPods 4 with active noise cancellation, AirPods Pro 2 and later, or AirPods Max 2 with newer firmware, paired with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone with Siri and the device language set to English and Chinese (Simplified). Visual Intelligence works on all Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone models, and Apple notes that some features may only be available in certain languages ​​or regions.