The need for regulatory approval could explain some of the messaging focus of Cook's China trip, although the timeline for the introduction of Apple Intelligence in China remains uncertain. This could be a problem for the company, as the lack of Apple Intelligence on Chinese devices is expected to weaken the motivation for users to upgrade to the iPhone 16.

Apple's Vision Pro mixed reality headset, which was released in the Chinese market in June, was also discussed during Cook's visit. Weibo, a local social media giant, is one of the app developers that have launched applications for the headset.