Apple is reportedly negotiating with Tencent and ByteDance to offer their AI models on iPhones sold in China as stipulated by local requirements, reports Reuters.
The agreement could be similar to that between Apple and OpenAI, where the latter’s ChatGPT service integrates directly with Apple Intelligence and Siri as of the iOS 18.2 update. However, Apple’s situation in China is more desperate as regulations mean that only a handful of government-approved AI models can operate locally.
Apple Intelligence remains unavailable in China and will remain so until Apple can partner with a local AI provider. However, Reuters reports that Apple’s talks with ByteDance and Tencent remain at a very early stage, meaning that Apple Intelligence is unlikely to launch in China anytime soon.
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Apple was reportedly in talks with Baidu as an AI provider in China long before Apple Intelligence was announced this year. However, talks reportedly broke down due to technical difficulties and privacy concerns with users’ data. The lack of AI features on Chinese-sold iPhones has reportedly hurt the device’s sales as shipments have mostly stagnated. On the other hand, Apple’s rivals in China continue to do remarkably well, with Huawei’s shipments surging 42% in the third quarter of 2024.
