iOS 27.3 beta 1 brings Apple Intelligence to China for first time
Apple has released iOS 27.3 beta 1 with the first Apple Intelligence features for users in China, though the new Siri AI is not part of the launch.
Apple Intelligence is now available in China for the first time. With iOS 27.3 beta 1, released this week, beta users in the country can try a set of AI features that Apple announced last week.
The wait has been long. Apple Intelligence launched in the US in October 2024, so users in China have waited more than two years for access.
What is included
Apple has outlined a broad list of features arriving with the beta:
- Real-time translation across Messages, FaceTime, Phone and compatible AirPods
- Memory creation in Photos using any prompt
- Smart Reply in the Mail and Messages apps
- Audio transcription summaries in the Notes app
- Siri improvements, including Type to Siri, more natural language support and the ability to retain context during a conversation
What is missing
Not everything is here yet. Siri AI, notably, is absent from the first release. In fact, none of the new AI capabilities introduced with iOS 27 are part of this rollout.
Instead, Apple is starting with features that debuted in iOS 18 and iOS 26 and bringing those to Chinese users first. That means the offering is closer to what users elsewhere have had for some time than to the newest tools in the current software generation.
For people in China, the beta marks the first practical step toward the AI features Apple has promoted globally. Because this is a first beta, the features are currently limited to testers, and Apple has not said in the material available when a public release will follow.
Apps worth a look
SUMO: the number puzzleTap the right tiles, add them up, hit the target. Easy to learn, hard to master. Free, for all ages.
Dialo: learn languages by speakingTalk to an AI conversation partner; every sentence comes back corrected and explained in your language. 9 languages, A1 to C2.
ediviewer: read EDI files like documentsOpen EDIFACT and X12 messages, see every segment explained, convert to JSON/XML, export PDF and Excel. Runs locally, no upload.
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