Apple has partnered with Chinese tech giant Alibaba to provide artificial intelligence features to its iPhones in the country. The move comes after iPhone AI features were not enabled in China, which is thought to have contributed to a decline in smartphone sales.
According to Alibaba chairman Joseph Tsai, the company chose to partner with Apple due to its desire to use Alibaba’s AI capabilities to power its phones. “They talked to a number of companies in China,” Tsai said. “In the end they chose to do business with us.”
The partnership marks an effort by Apple to improve its local smartphone sales, which have been declining in recent years. In 2024, Apple lost the top spot for smartphone sales in China, coming in behind Huawei and Xiaomi.
As part of this partnership, Apple will be using Alibaba’s AI capabilities to enhance iPhone features such as search functionality and Siri upgrades. However, it remains unclear if a similar approach will be taken outside of China.
Regulatory approval is required for any consumer-facing AI features, and Apple and Alibaba have already submitted materials to regulators. The move aims to address lagging sales in China, which analysts have attributed to the lack of iPhone AI features in the country.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/news/611992/apple-intelligence-ai-china-alibaba-iphone