Apple's domestic AI suppliers emerge: Alibaba and Baidu; reports say the features will launch on iOS 27.3 in December
IT Home, citing Bloomberg and earlier Chinese reporting on October 15, says Apple is preparing a mainland-China launch of Apple Intelligence, with a December iOS 27.3 release under consideration. The account concerns an initial set of AI features across supported Apple devices, rather than the newly announced Siri AI assistant. The reported timing remains a plan, not a confirmed release date.
The article describes different roles for Chinese partners: Baidu for search and Siri-related services, and Alibaba for model capabilities including Qwen and Tongyi Wanxiang. It points to regulatory filings and a Baidu Visual Search module found in beta software as supporting context. These details do not establish that every feature will launch together; the report specifically notes uncertainty around the newer Siri AI reaching China.
- Qwen
- Alibaba's family of large language models, also known as Tongyi Qianwen. Reference ↗
- Alibaba
- A Chinese technology group whose businesses include commerce and cloud computing. Reference ↗
- Baidu
- A Chinese technology company known for internet search, AI and autonomous-driving technology. Reference ↗
- Apple Intelligence
- Apple's collection of AI features for supported devices. Availability depends on device, software, language and region. Reference ↗