Apple will build Alibaba Group's Qwen artificial-intelligence model into Siri and other core iPhone features in mainland China, with developer testing starting Nov. 4 and a public release due with iOS 27.3 in December, the U.S. company said on Oct. 31.

For investors in Asia, the deal settles a question that has hung over Apple in one of its most important markets: how it would bring its AI features to iPhone users there, and with which local model. It also gives Alibaba a place inside the iPhone's operating system in China, a distribution channel that reaches users without them downloading a separate app.

What Apple and Alibaba Announced

Apple said in a statement on its China newsroom that the first set of Apple Intelligence features will reach users in China through the latest iOS developer beta from Nov. 4. The features run on generative models that Apple built itself, the company said. On top of that, Apple and Alibaba agreed to add Qwen support to certain experiences, so users in China can call on the model directly in Siri, Writing Tools and Visual Intelligence, including for understanding text and images.

In practice, Siri will hand some requests to Qwen and draw on its general knowledge, Apple said. Users will also be able to ask Qwen questions about photos and about documents such as PDFs and slide presentations. Access requires either a Qwen account or Sign in with Apple. A new Create function in Writing Tools will let Qwen produce original content from scratch anywhere in the system, Apple said.

Alibaba announced the partnership the same day, according to CGTN, which cited the Xinhua News Agency. Alibaba said users can decide whether to switch on the Qwen integration and what information to share, and that it will not use user requests or the model's responses to train its models. Alibaba Chief Executive Eddie Wu said Qwen would work within Apple's ecosystem to bring new AI services to Chinese users, CGTN reported.

The initial release covers a long list of Apple's own tools: live translation in Messages, FaceTime and the Phone app, the Clean Up photo editor, Genmoji, natural-language photo search, Memory movies, priority messages and summaries in Mail, smart replies, notification summaries and summaries of recorded audio and calls.

Apple drew a line around what is not included. The update leaves out Siri AI and the other next-generation Apple Intelligence features the company announced at its Worldwide Developers Conference in 2026, the statement said. Support on platforms other than the iPhone will follow once the necessary approvals are granted.

Which iPhones Qualify, and Who Can Use It

The China release covers the iPhone 16 lineup and later models, the iPhone Duo, the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, and the iPhone Air, according to Apple. Siri and the device language must both be set to English or Simplified Chinese.

Eligibility also depends on where the phone and account are registered. The feature will be available to users who buy an Apple Intelligence-capable iPhone in China, or whose device location and Apple Account country or region are both set to China, CGTN reported, citing Alibaba.

The regulatory groundwork was laid earlier in the year. China's cyberspace regulator completed the filing of seven on-device generative AI services for smartphones in July, Apple Intelligence among them, CGTN reported. Apple first unveiled Apple Intelligence at its developer conference in 2024, about two years before this China release.

Why the Qwen Deal Matters for Alibaba and Rivals

For Alibaba, the agreement adds a hardware channel to a model family it already distributes through its cloud unit and its own consumer apps. Wang Xiaojie, an AI specialist at Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, told Xinhua it was the first time a leading global consumer hardware maker had used a Chinese large model as the main system-level AI backbone in the Chinese market, CGTN reported.

Qwen does not replace Apple's own technology: Apple's models still run the bulk of the features, and Qwen is called on for broader knowledge questions and content generation. But Siri and Writing Tools sit at the center of how people use an iPhone, which makes the slot valuable for whichever model fills it.

It also sharpens competition among Chinese model developers for consumer reach. Rivals such as Moonshot AI, which is weighing a Hong Kong listing, rely mostly on their own apps and on enterprise customers to win users. Alibaba now has a route onto handsets that it does not have to build or sell itself.

Alibaba is not Apple's only local partner. Baidu told TechCrunch in July that it was also working with Apple on Apple Intelligence features for Chinese users.

For Apple, the launch fills a gap in a region that matters to its results: Greater China sales were $20.5 billion in the second quarter, up 28% from a year earlier, TechCrunch reported in July. Whether the features help sales will show up only once they reach ordinary users, not developers.

The next markers are close. The developer beta opens on Nov. 4, and Apple has committed to a December public release with iOS 27.3. The announcements did not include financial terms.