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iOS 19 tipped to unleash Apple Intelligence in China thanks to DeepSeek

Apple Intelligence's availability might improve soon. (Image source: Apple)
Apple Intelligence's availability might improve soon. (Image source: Apple)
Apple Intelligence is touted as iOS 18's killer feature - even if its availability is currently limited in various regions for various reasons. In China, one of the main problems involves finding a local replacement for the OpenAI partnership that enables the service in the US - however, that has apparently changed with the release of DeepSeek.

The iPhone 16 series was unleashed on the world with Apple Intelligence as one of its main sources of hype - however, many people bought the new devices worldwide only to find that the new feature was not available in their region on its launch.

Those locations include the European Union, where Apple Intelligence is now slated to only really arrive on iPhones in April 2025, along with support for 17 additional languages such as French, Portuguese and Spanish in addition to the single option currently supported in the United States (English).

Apple Intelligence faces other barriers to entry in China, government regulations and the failure to find suitable local suppliers of AI included. Therefore, the arrival of DeepSeek is a boon to the Cupertino giant's operations in that country, according to the latest reports.

It is backed to underpin Apple Intelligence in China - although iPhone users there might have to wait until iOS 19 to gain access to it.

Furthermore, that form of the AI just might be ported to other locations such as Europe and Hong Kong, as the model is, of course, relatively low-cost as well as open-source. Then again, that idea does come with its own potential pitfalls and issues.

The prospect of Apple Intelligence based on DeepSeek is reportedly under internal testing at present, however, a process that will affect its chances of becoming a reality in the near future. 

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2025 02 > iOS 19 tipped to unleash Apple Intelligence in China thanks to DeepSeek
Deirdre O'Donnell, 2025-02- 2 (Update: 2025-02- 2)