Apple's AI Tools Receive Approval for China Release --- Shipments of iPhones to the country rose 24% in the second quarter

“Apple's artificial-intelligence system has secured government approval in China, clearing a major roadblock for the iPhone maker to introduce the service in the world's largest smartphone market.

 

China's top cyberspace regulator said on Wednesday that the American company has successfully registered its Apple Intelligence service. Companies need government approval before releasing most generative AI services to the public in China.

 

Apple first submitted some Apple Intelligence features for regulatory review in China in early 2025, after spending nearly a year codeveloping the features with local technology titans Alibaba and Baidu. The iPhone maker had initially hoped the new AI capabilities would help it regain market share in the country.

 

The absence of Apple Intelligence on iPhones in China had threatened to stall the upgrade cycles of the handset at a time when Apple faced stiff competition from local rivals such as Huawei, Xiaomi and Oppo, which have rapidly rolled out AI features on their devices.

 

In the second quarter, iPhone shipments in China jumped 24% from a year earlier, cementing Apple's spot as the country's No. 2 smartphone seller behind Huawei, according to research firm IDC. Shipments for most Chinese brands fell after they raised prices to offset the surging costs of memory chips and other components. Apple in late June also raised prices of many products globally.

 

Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

 

Alibaba's AI model Qwen would be integrated into Apple Intelligence for users across the iPhone, iPad, Mac and Vision Pro in the country, an Alibaba spokesperson said in a statement. Baidu said Apple would also tap its AI capabilities for Apple Intelligence.

 

Beijing has tightened cybersecurity oversight in recent years, requiring all user data to be processed on servers in the country rather than transferred abroad. The government mandates that generative AI models and services undergo rigorous testing to prevent inappropriate content.

 

Most foreign AI models, such as those developed by OpenAI and Google, aren't officially available in China, which prompted Apple to seek local partners to launch the service.” [1]

 

1. Apple's AI Tools Receive Approval for China Release --- Shipments of iPhones to the country rose 24% in the second quarter. Huang, Raffaele; Qu, Tracy.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 16 July 2026: B4.