Information on AI smartphone use from China has shown the significant battle Apple will have on its hands when (if?) Apple Intelligence eventually launches there, as well as how longer delays will see it lose market share in a fiercely competitive space. Huawei currently controls 34.8% of the AI smartphone market in China, while Xiaomi has 26.9%, according to new data, giving the mobile giants a massive 61.7% share together, which dwarfs the next player in the space, Vivo, with 11.6%.
Apple is nowhere to be seen in the data. The company announced its Apple Intelligence AI platform in June, and detailed it further with the iPhone 16 series in September, but the first official release didn’t arrive until October 2024 with iOS 18.1. Even now, some features are still only available in beta releases, and not all regions even have access to Apple Intelligence’s basic features. This includes China, where Apple faces regulatory problems.
To release generative AI products in China, Apple requires government approval, and it must apparently provide a large amount of information on how its AI works to get it, including how its systems are trained. It must also pass security assessments. Apple Intelligence uses contributions from ChatGPT, and OpenAI has blocked access to that software from China, creating further issues.
“For Apple, this means either walking away from its largest overseas market or creating a separate, censored version of its AI assistant,” according to in a report on how this may affect Apple’s business in China. It’s clear from the market share data that its competitors are using AI as a way to drive sales, and it’s apparent that buyers are looking for the functionality too.
“Chinese consumers are expecting their premium phones to have the latest AI functionality and may hesitate to spend over $1,000 for devices that don’t have all the AI bells and whistles,” IDC told CNN Business. In the same report, it’s noted that Samsung has partnered with Baidu and Meitu for some of its Galaxy AI functionality, a path Apple may also be considering as a way to address the extensive regulation on AI in China.
At the end of October, Apple CEO Tim Cook visited China and met with the head of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, but it’s not certain if the release of Apple Intelligence in China was discussed. Apple still holds the second spot in overall smartphone shipments in China, with the iPhone 16 performing similarly to the iPhone 15, according to research from IDC. However, more concerningly, the report showed an overall decline for Apple over last year, when Huawei, Xiaomi, and market leader Vivo all showed considerable improvement. However Apple plans to solve its Apple Intelligence problem in China, it likely needs to happen soon.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.
Samsung’s scandal over its Game Optimizing Service, or GOS, has returned with a bill attached. South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission has tentatively fined the company 20.1 billion won, or about $15.1 million, over gaming claims made for the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S22, and Tab S8.
The regulator says Samsung promoted the devices as gaming powerhouses without disclosing that GOS placed preset CPU and GPU limits on certain demanding games. Samsung disputes that conclusion, calling GOS a legitimate way to manage heat.
Apple's next cheaper iPhone could get a brand-new processor while keeping its most stubborn display compromise. Digital Chat Station tips the iPhone 18e for a 2027 release with a 2nm A20 chip and a 6.12-inch OLED screen still limited to 60Hz.
The rumored camera setup includes a single 48MP rear camera and a possible 24MP selfie camera. There's new hardware to consider, but buyers hoping Apple would extend that upgrade generosity to smoother scrolling could be disappointed.