The rollout of Siri AI wouldn’t have mattered in China or the EU since strong regulatory checkups would mean Apple needed to expose itself to another headache that could take months, if not years, to complete. Fortunately, one tipster reveals that the Cupertino giant has crossed that bridge because Apple Intelligence has received its regulatory filing in the region.
New progress with Apple Intelligence in China means talks over potential localized partnerships with the likes of Alibaba and Baidu were fruitful
The image below, shared by prolific tipster Ice Universe, is an official CAC (Cyberspace Administration of China) registration list that’s dated July 8. Aside from Apple Intelligence, Samsung’s Galaxy AI is also mentioned as one of the services to have received its regulatory filing, giving the Korean giant some motivation to remain in and market its devices in China amid a shipment slump.
With this hurdle scaled, Apple can finally offer its entire suite of Siri AI features to the masses. To remind you, iPhones with 8GB of RAM will miss out on two features, while models like the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will support the mother lode, as both flagships are said to ship with 12GB of memory, just like the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max.
However, one difference when operating in Chinese markets is that it won’t run on the same models that it does in the West. Instead, Alibaba’s Qwen or Baidu will likely be leveraged to accelerate Siri AI’s rollout, with both Chinese firms previously reported to be engaged with the California-based giant in talks for Apple Intelligence. Sadly, those discussions never matured, likely due to regulatory headaches, forcing Apple to take a backseat in the negotiations.
With the latest evidence showing that Apple Intelligence has received the green light in China, it’s only a matter of time before Siri AI gets rolled out. We doubt that the inclusion of these AI features will make or break a buyer’s purchasing decision, especially because the base iPhone 17 has garnered an impressive 32 million activations in China.
Looking at this data, consumers prefer value over AI features, but as long as Apple gets to maintain competitiveness in this sector while appeasing a small percentage of buyers to gain a foothold in the world’s largest smartphone market by volume, it’s a massive win.
News Source: Ice Universe
About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.
Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.
