China clears Alibaba AI models for Apple's iPhone Duo and other iPhones

China has approved Alibaba Group Holding's artificial intelligence models for integration into several Apple handsets sold in the country, including the new iPhone Duo. As of October 14, 2026, updated network access permits issued by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology for the iPhone Duo, the iPhone 18 Pro and a number of earlier models list three approved AI systems.

The three are Apple Intelligence and two Alibaba models, Tongyi Qianwen and Tongyi Wanxiang. The approval removes a significant regulatory obstacle to the launch of Apple Intelligence in China, which has been delayed for a long time.

What was approved

Tongyi Qianwen, better known as Qwen, is a family of large language models built by Alibaba Cloud. Tongyi Wanxiang focuses on generating images and video from text prompts. According to the permits, both will sit alongside Apple's own AI features on the approved devices.

The filing also sheds more light on what the iPhone Duo, Apple's first foldable smartphone, will be able to do. The device is scheduled to go on sale in China the week after October 14.

Why it matters

Chinese rules require AI services to pass strict security assessments and register their algorithms before they can be offered to the public. In practice, that has pushed foreign technology companies to rely on approved local partners to deliver generative AI features in the country.

China is one of the world's largest smartphone markets, and domestic rivals have been shipping AI features on their phones for some time. Regulatory clearance could help Apple close that gap there, while giving Alibaba's Qwen models a potential route onto a large base of iPhone users.

Neither Apple nor Alibaba has publicly detailed, in the available reporting, exactly when or how the features will be switched on for users. The timing may become clearer once the iPhone Duo reaches stores.