Apple Intelligence approved for launch in China with Alibaba and Baidu

In Brief

6:17 AM PDT · July 16, 2026

Apple Intelligence, the iPhone maker’s generative AI offering, is coming to China.

On Wednesday, Reuters reported that China’s internet content regulator, the Cyberspace Administration of China, approved Apple’s AI services in the country on the back of a deal to integrate Alibaba’s Qwen AI model into Apple’s operating systems, including iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS.

On Wednesday evening, a Baidu spokesperson confirmed to TechCrunch that it is also working with Apple on developing Apple Intelligence features for Chinese users.

The deal, which was rumored to be in the works last year, marks an important step for Apple’s AI ambitions in a key market. In the second quarter, Apple generated $20.5 billion in sales in Greater China, up 28% from a year earlier. Apple also recently regained its No. 2 positionin China’s smartphone market after a recent shopping festival offered discounts...

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