A new report says that the delayed Chinese release of Apple Intelligence may arrive with an update to iOS 26 as Apple aims to make it a key reason for users to upgrade iPhones.
Apple requires regulatory approval to operating Apple Intelligence in China, and traditionally that means having to partner with a local company. The approvals process remains complex and protracted, but Apple has previously been reported to be working with China's Baidu and also Alibaba.
Now Bloomberg is reporting that that Apple Intelligence will now launch before the end of 2025. Specifically, it should launch with the iOS 26.1 or iOS 26.2 updates.
The report repeats that Chinese regulatory approval has been difficult to get. But it also adds that US government officials have raised concerns.
When Apple Intelligence is available in China, the report says that Baidu and Alibaba will split the work. Baidu will act in the same way that ChatGPT does for the US and elsewhere, providing Visual Intelligence for instance.
Alibaba would be the service that constrains Apple Intelligence, forcing it to comply with the Chinese government's conditions.
At present, it's believed that Apple Intelligence is being tested with Apple employees in China. Apple is said to consider Apple Intelligence crucial to the success of the iPhone 17 range, so it is working to provide it in China as soon as possible.
At present, iPhone users with Apple Accounts set to China cannot access Apple Intelligence within the country — even if the iPhone was bought elsewhere. A version of Apple Intelligence in simplified Chinese was released in April 2024, but only for users outside China.
