Weeks before Apple Intelligence launches across China, the Shanghai cyberspace regulator has granted approval for the AI service to operate on Apple's tablet and laptop devices. The regulatory body announced the expansion on Monday, according to Reuters, adding iPads and Mac computers to the list of approved hardware for the service.
Under China's regulatory framework for artificial intelligence services, companies must register their AI models and conversational tools with state authorities before making them available to consumers. The Shanghai regulator's decision brings Apple's filing into compliance with these requirements by designating tablets and laptops as additional permitted use cases.
Apple Intelligence first received clearance for iPhones in mid-July, with Alibaba's Qwen AI model selected to power the service within China. Baidu also serves as a technology partner, Bloomberg reported. The arrangement reflects Apple's need for domestic partners, as OpenAI's ChatGPT—which supports Apple Intelligence features in other regions—remains unavailable in China.
According to an Alibaba representative, "Qwen will be integrated into Apple Intelligence experiences within iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and visionOS for users in China." The company made this statement to CNBC in July.
Apple first unveiled Apple Intelligence in 2024 and began deploying it internationally later that year with iOS 18. The Chinese market has experienced a considerably longer wait for the service's arrival.
Rollout Timeline and Device Support
On 31 October, Apple announced via its China news site that initial features would arrive with iOS 27.3. A beta version for developers launched on 4 November, with the full public release scheduled for December.
Within China, Qwen will power Siri, Writing Tools, and visual intelligence—a feature allowing users to query information about what their camera captures. However, certain AI-enhanced tools that Apple demonstrated at its June developer conference will not be included in the initial launch.
The October announcement specified compatible iPhones as the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPhone Air, iPhone Duo, and all iPhone 16 models and later. Users must configure Siri and their device to either English or Simplified Chinese to access the features.
Reuters reported in August that Apple had developed its own proprietary AI model specifically for the Chinese market in collaboration with Alibaba—a departure from the company's original strategy of relying exclusively on third-party models in the region.
Apple has not yet disclosed when the newly approved features will become available on iPads and Mac computers in China.
Source: The Next Web
