Recent activity on Apple's (AAPL.US) official website indicates that the rollout of its Apple Intelligence feature in China may be imminent. A newly discovered feedback form requested users to provide phone numbers starting with +86 (China's country code). However, the form was quickly removed by Apple shortly after its appearance.

Apple first introduced Apple Intelligence at its 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). The feature has faced criticism for requiring an iPhone 16 or newer device, limiting its accessibility.

In February 2025, Alibaba Group Chairman Joe Tsai stated that Apple would integrate Alibaba's AI technology to support Apple Intelligence in China. Earlier reports in May suggested a potential July release alongside iOS 18.6, but the plan was delayed. Apple's next scheduled iOS update, iOS 26.2, is expected by year-end.

For the Chinese market, Apple is collaborating with Alibaba and Baidu to enhance Apple Intelligence. Alibaba's AI model will power content moderation, while Baidu's technology will support Siri and visual intelligence features. In contrast, Apple has partnered with OpenAI for Siri's backend in the U.S.

An upgraded version of Siri is anticipated to debut with iOS 26.4 in early 2026.