China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has approved Alibaba's Tongyi Qianwen and Tongyi Wanxiang AI models for use in Apple Intelligence on iPhones in China, clearing a key regulatory hurdle.
China has granted approval for Alibaba Group Holding’s artificial intelligence models to be integrated into several Apple handsets, including the new iPhone Duo, in the Chinese market. This move clears a key regulatory hurdle for the long-delayed launch of Apple Intelligence in the country.
Updated network access permits from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) for the iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro, and several earlier Apple models now include three approved AI systems: Apple Intelligence alongside Alibaba’s Tongyi Qianwen and Tongyi Wanxiang. Tongyi Qianwen, also known as Qwen, is a family of large language models developed by Alibaba Cloud, while Tongyi Wanxiang specialises in AI text-to-image and video generation.
The regulatory filing provides clarity on the capabilities of the iPhone Duo, Apple’s first foldable smartphone, ahead of its scheduled release next week in China. Local regulations require stringent security evaluations and algorithm filings before any public AI deployment.
Apple has yet to roll out Apple Intelligence on the Chinese mainland, despite receiving regulatory clearance from Beijing in July. The service has already been deployed across other major markets, launching in the United States in 2024 and Europe last year. Core Apple Intelligence features, such as writing and image editing tools, are available in Hong Kong.
In July, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) confirmed the licence for Apple Intelligence, which powers features such as email summarisation, report drafting and image editing, exclusively on iPhones. An Alibaba representative said at the time that its Qwen model would "be integrated into Apple Intelligence experiences within iOS, iPadOS, macOS and visionOS for users in China" to enable text and image generation capabilities.
While Apple relies on partnerships with Google and OpenAI to support its Intelligence feature in international markets, Beijing’s stringent oversight has pushed Apple to collaborate with local tech firms, including Alibaba. Apple and Alibaba submitted co-developed AI features for approval to China’s internet regulator, the Cyberspace Administration of China, in the past year.
An Apple Intelligence roll-out is critical for Apple as it leans on AI features to stave off fierce domestic competition in China, the world’s largest smartphone market. Local players including Huawei Technologies have been pushing aggressively in the premium tier as the broader industry struggles with surging component costs.
China’s overall smartphone shipments plunged 15 per cent in the third quarter, with Huawei the only player among the top brands to record an uptick in sales, according to an IDC report released on Tuesday. Huawei led the market with a 21 per cent share, with shipments up 17 per cent year on year following the launch of its new trifold handset and flagship Mate 90 series in September. Apple ranked second with a nearly 18 per cent share of the Chinese market, though its shipment volume was down 4 per cent year on year.
The initial response to Apple’s recently launched iPhone 18 Pro series in China has shown positive signs. The company sold more Pro models in the first three days after launch in China last month than it did in an entire week following the release of the iPhone 17 Pro line-up last year, according to a report by Counterpoint Research. That strong start propelled Apple to reclaim the top spot in China by smartphone sales for the week of September 14 to 20, with the company capturing a 33 per cent share of the market.
The approval allows Apple to finally offer Chinese iPhone users similar image generation and AI chatbot capabilities as it provides to customers elsewhere, albeit with local partners due to regulatory constraints. This development comes just days before Apple’s first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo, is expected to launch in China, a market where interest in foldable smartphones is particularly high. The integration of Alibaba's AI models addresses the regulatory requirements that previously blocked the service, potentially helping Apple compete against local rivals like Huawei who have already integrated AI features into their devices.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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