Apple's plans to launch Apple Intelligence in China may be coming to fruition as a new report suggests that the company is now targeting its arrival before the end of 2025.
Apple Intelligence Launching in China Before 2025 Ends
According to the latest Power On newsletter by Mark Gurman (via Bloomberg), Apple is now targeting the launch of Apple Intelligence in China before the year ends.
China remains one of Apple's largest iPhone markets, but despite this, they have not yet received the generative AI since the company made it available via iOS 18.
That being said, Apple has reportedly faced scrutiny from both the US and China, with the East Asian superpower requiring the Cupertino tech giant to partner with a local regulator to make the launch possible.
According to 9to5Mac, Apple previously partnered with Alibaba for Apple Intelligence's launch.
First US AI Tech Coming to China?
It was revealed by reports that Apple is planning to launch Apple Intelligence in China with the release of its iOS 26.1 or iOS 26.2, which is set for later this year.
Moreover, Apple's Chinese employees are reportedly already testing the features under Apple Intelligence in the country.
Should Apple be successful with its release, it would be the first AI model from a US Big Tech company to launch in China as OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft's AI developments have not yet been shared to the country.
US and China's AI Tech War
AI has long been in development, with many companies already integrating it into their existing infrastructure. However, when generative AI emerged with OpenAI's ChatGPT debut in late 2022, it changed the entire landscape entirely.
Despite this, in 2024, China admitted that its artificial intelligence sector is lagging behind the United States. The country has already called for a massive focus on the emerging technology.
One of the biggest roadblocks China has faced in the past years is the United States' sanctions on its use of American chip technology, with Huawei being one of the largest Chinese companies to suffer over it.
The US has also prevented China from accessing American-designed AI chips in the market, with NVIDIA's technology, along with others, being kept away Beijing's hands.
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