Apple recently released iOS 27.2 that came with a plethora of new upgrades for iPhone users. It naturally brings us to question what the next major update will have in store for users around the world. Customers in China have been left out of Apple Intelligence since its debut.
Apple has confirmed that Apple Intelligence testing in China would begin on November 4, with the next iOS developer beta, and that beta is now out as iOS 27.3 beta 1, with Apple Intelligence live for testers in China. The iOS 27.3 release date depends on when the company is testing the feature, and our guess is December, when Apple will officially bring Apple Intelligence to China.
iOS 27.3 release date
The confirmation came from a press release on Apple’s Chinese Newsroom, which is quite odd, as the company rarely announces beta dates in advance. Apple only confirmed November 4 as the start of testing in China, not necessarily the date of beta 1 itself.
Update: Apple released iOS 27.3 beta 1 to developers on November 3, and it brings back the redesigned Health app, along with vertical tabs in Safari and Siri AI in four more languages.
The public release is expected in December, and based on past trends, we can expect iOS 27.3 in the middle of the month. iOS 18.2 and iOS 26.2 were released on December 11 and 12, so we’re making a safe bet.
It will be iOS 27.3 instead of iOS 27.2, because iOS 27.1 was only oriented toward iPhone Duo users.
What Apple Intelligence in China includes
Siri gets Type to Siri, and what it can’t handle will be handed to Alibaba’s Qwen. However, the big fish won’t be part of the list of features coming to China, and that’s Siri AI. Most likely, Siri AI will come to the region with some more consideration and working with the required authorities. To be honest, it could take some time for Siri AI to come to China, probably next year, based on the speed at which Apple’s AI progress has been growing so far.
Qwen will also power Writing Tools and Visual Intelligence, which means that you can ask about photos, PDFs and presentations, and write from scratch. You will sign in with a Qwen account or Sign in with Apple.
You also get Live Translation in Messages, FaceTime and Phone, Genmoji, Clean Up in Photos, natural-language photo search, priority notifications, notification summaries and Smart Reply.
Which iPhone models will get it
These iPhone models will support Apple Intelligence features in China:
- iPhone 15 Pro
- iPhone 15 Pro Max
- iPhone 16
- iPhone 16e
- iPhone 16 Plus
- iPhone 16 Pro
- iPhone 16 Pro Max
- iPhone 17
- iPhone 17e
- iPhone Air
- iPhone 17 Pro
- iPhone 17 Pro Max
- iPhone 18 Pro
- iPhone 18 Pro Max
- iPhone Duo
To make it work, Siri and the device language must be set to English or Simplified Chinese, and for now, Apple is only adding Apple Intelligence support for the iPhone, which means you can’t use the feature on your iPad or Mac.
What else to expect in iOS 27.3
You can expect Siri AI in more languages, including Traditional Chinese, by the end of the year. Apple Intelligence in China would be the highlight of the update. After a year of back and forth, China finally gets Apple Intelligence, but without the Siri AI everyone else has. Is it a half launch?
