Apple Intelligence is targeting launch in the Chinese market by April 2025, but reports indicate that its collaboration with Baidu is facing difficulties.
According to 9To5Mac, citing information from The Information, engineers from Apple and Baidu are working on adjusting Baidu's Ernie Bot for better integration with the iPhone. However, the bot has shown inconsistencies in response accuracy, even for basic queries.
Furthermore, Apple and Baidu have encountered disagreements regarding privacy policies. While Baidu wishes to retain and analyze user AI search data, Apple Intelligence's key differentiator is its "Private Cloud Compute," which ensures data encryption and prevents devices from communicating with servers.
The Wall Street Journal first reported in April 2024 that Apple approached Baidu for collaboration in the Chinese market for Apple Intelligence, indicating that both parties were still in the exploratory phase. Based on the report by The Information, it appears that their cooperation is now in progress.
The Chinese government mandates that generative AI services targeting the general public must comply with regulations set by the Cyberspace Administration of China before they can be launched. Xinhua New Agency noted that as of August, over 190 services had passed registration. Industry observers generally believe that Apple's AI features will find smoother entry into the Chinese market through partnerships with local companies.
During a recent earnings call, Baidu stated that Ernie Bot has gained market recognition with the company now handling approximately 1.5 billion API calls daily. Chinese companies including Vivo and Oppo have already integrated Ernie Bot's API into their smartphones.
Before the release of the iPhone 16, market analysts believed that Apple Intelligence would be a key factor influencing sales. According to data from the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, sales of overseas smartphone brands in the Chinese market dropped from 11.15 million units in October 2024 to 6.22 million units, representing a year-on-year decrease of 44%. In contrast, the overall market grew by 1.8%. This data reflects the intense competition faced by the iPhone 16 series in China against other brands.
