Apple AI Cleared in China: iPhone Sales Surge 24%

Apple has received regulatory clearance for its Apple Intelligence product in China. This follows early numbers showing Apple’s mainland shipments increased by 24.4% in the second quarter, even as the overall market declined by 4.3%. What's interesting is that this rally started before Apple Intelligence even launched. Apple shipped about 2.4 million more iPhones year-on-year in mainland China during the June quarter. The company's stock was up 2.9% to $324.03, hitting a new intraday high. China’s cyberspace regulator confirmed that Apple Intelligence was one of seven phone-based generative AI services to complete registration. Alibaba Group and Baidu have also stated their AI models are set to work with Apple devices in China. The bottom line is that this approval could signal a significant next step for Apple's presence and AI integration in a key market.