Report: Apple Intelligence reaches China with iOS 27.3, but without Siri AI

Apple Intelligence has been missing in China since Apple announced it in 2024. That could change by the end of the year. According to a Bloomberg report summarised by GSMArena, iOS 27.3, which is expected in December, will enable Apple Intelligence for the Chinese market. Apple has not announced this officially.

What's reportedly included

• Local AI models: in the West Apple uses Google's Gemini; in China it has a deal with Alibaba. Alibaba's Qwen model would power most features, and its image and video model Tongyi Wanxiang would handle image editing.
• Fewer features: text generation would be restricted inside some apps, and Image Playground would not launch because of local rules. The limits are regulatory, not technical, the report says.
• No Siri AI: Apple's new AI-powered Siri is not part of the iOS 27.3 release in China.

China isn't the only gap

Siri AI is also unavailable in the EU on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. Apple's own fine print says EU users can get Siri AI on Mac and Vision Pro in a supported language, but not "initially" on iOS, iPadOS or watchOS. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says not to expect Siri AI in China or the EU any time soon.

Until Apple confirms its plans, treat the December timing and the feature list as reported, not final. If you have a recent iPhone set to the Chinese region, check Settings → Apple Intelligence & Siri after updating to iOS 27.3.