Apple’s AI Rollout Delay Dampens iPhone 16 Excitement in China: An Opening for Huawei Amid Regulatory Uncertainty

The delay in Apple's artificial intelligence impacts the excitement for iPhone 16 in China, while Huawei prepares to seize the opportunity. The Chinese language version of Apple Intelligence will not be accessible until 2025, and it is unclear if it will be offered in mainland China.

The smartphone producer headquartered in Cupertino, California, revealed the eagerly awaited iPhone 16 range on Monday, their premier series powered by artificial intelligence. While several users in China have shown enthusiasm for Apple's on-device AI system, termed Apple Intelligence, some have noted that the feature won't support the Chinese language until the following year.

A few customers have also expressed doubts about Apple's commitment to introduce the AI feature in regions where Chinese is spoken, particularly in mainland China where there is strict regulation of generative AI technology. Until now, the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has sanctioned 188 major language models for public utilization within the country, but none of them have been launched by overseas firms.

Worldwide, Apple utilizes OpenAI's GPT models partially to fuel its inherent AI, which hasn't been accessible in China. According to Apple's website, the commencement date of its AI functionality in China is contingent on the approval from Chinese regulatory authorities.