Apple to Run Siri in China on Alibaba’s Qwen Model From December

Key Points

1. Apple said Apple Intelligence in China will use Alibaba's Qwen model, with developer testing from November 4.
2. Full rollout is expected in December with iOS 27.3, Apple's first localized AI partnership for the Chinese market.
3. The deal ties Apple's AI future in its most sensitive market to a domestic Chinese model and local rules.

The latest:

Apple Intelligence is coming to China on Alibaba’s Qwen model, Apple announced on October 31, 2026, ending a long wait for its AI suite in the country. Chinese users can test the features in the latest iOS developer beta starting November 4, with a full release expected in December as part of iOS 27.3. Apple did not name any additional local partners.

Details:

• The partnership: Apple will integrate Qwen, Alibaba’s AI model, into Apple Intelligence services offered specifically to Chinese users. The arrangement applies to that market only, rather than to Apple Intelligence globally, and Apple did not disclose commercial terms of the agreement with Alibaba.
• What changes for users: Apple said the features will let users interact with Siri in a more sophisticated way, drawing on Qwen’s text and image comprehension. The company framed the integration as both a user-experience upgrade and a step toward meeting local regulations and market demands in China.
• The timeline: Two dates matter. Developer beta testing opens November 4, giving Chinese developers roughly a month with the features. The consumer release is expected in December inside iOS 27.3, though Apple did not fix a specific day for the public rollout.
• The company: Apple designs and markets smartphones, personal computers, tablets, wearables and accessories, with a portfolio spanning iPhone, Mac, iPad, Apple Watch, and services including Apple Music and Apple Pay. Its market capitalization stands at roughly $5 trillion.
• The valuation call: GuruFocus put Apple’s GF Value at $289.74 against a market price of $344.63, an assessment that the stock is 18.9% overvalued. On that reading, buyers at current levels have little margin of safety, according to the firm’s analysis.
• The multiple: Apple’s trailing price-to-earnings ratio is 39.51x, well above its five-year median of 31.34x, according to GuruFocus. The firm reckoned the gap means the shares are priced for high growth that may not prove sustainable over the longer term.
• The scorecard: GuruFocus gave Apple a GF Score of 95 out of 100. Profitability and growth each rank 10/10 and momentum 9/10, while financial strength and valuation both sit at 5/10 — the weakest components of the composite rating.
• Insiders and funds: Insiders sold $96.3 million in Apple shares over the past three months. Among tracked investors, 36 gurus hold the stock, with 9 adding to positions and 19 trimming in recent quarters, which GuruFocus read as cautious institutional sentiment.

Background:

Apple Intelligence launched in other markets before China, where regulations require AI services to run on approved domestic models. Partnering with Alibaba gives Apple a compliant path into the market rather than exporting its existing arrangements.

Between the lines:

The two halves of the story point in opposite directions. The Qwen deal unlocks Apple’s AI pitch in a market central to iPhone demand, while GuruFocus’s own numbers — a 39.51x multiple against a 31.34x median, a valuation rank of 5/10, and $96.3 million of insider selling — suggest expectations are already elevated. A China AI launch may therefore be priced in before it ships.

What’s next

Watch the November 4 developer beta for the first look at Siri running on Qwen, then the December iOS 27.3 release for the consumer rollout and any Apple disclosure of a firm launch date.