Will Apple’s iOS 27 open third-party AI pptions and help Chinese iPhones escape their AI dilemma?

Every Wednesday and Friday, TechNode’s Briefing newsletter delivers a roundup of the most important news in China tech, straight to your inbox. Your support helps TechNode continue to provide credible, on-the-ground journalism and industry insights about the Chinese tech industry. Apple is reportedly planning to allow users to choose third-party AI models for the first time in its upcoming iOS 27 release, expanding Apple Intelligence capabilities to power core system features such as Siri, writing tools, and image generation, according to Bloomberg. The shift would mark a significant move by Apple away from its traditionally closed ecosystem toward a more open platform strategy. It could also offer a potential way out of current limitations faced by iPhones in China, where AI functionality has lagged due to regulatory and ecosystem constraints. Since Apple introduced Apple Intelligence in 2024, iPhones sold in China have faced significant limitations in accessing AI features. Due to regulatory requirements, these devices are unable to use the full suite of native AI capabilities.

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