AI technologies will be highlighted on the iPhone 16,

while pre-orders for Huawei’s upcoming phone are growing

• Apple’s AI technology, Apple Intelligence, is only expected to be released in the United States for the time being.

• The iPhone 16 is the company’s first smartphone built around AI features.

•Hours after Apple‘s presentation, Huawei will reveal new items.

Google has demonstrated AI features to counter Apple‘s hegemony.

opens new tab on Monday is scheduled to reveal its iPhone 16,

emphasizing how artificial intelligence has been integrated into the device’s functions.

However, it might be eclipsed by a triple-folding smartphone that China’s Huawei unveiled a few hours earlier.

The Mate XT phone will be announced by Huawei (HWT.UL) a few hours after the Apple event.

On Monday, the Z-shaped tri-fold phone from the Chinese business was listed as having more than 3 million pre-orders on its website. This strengthens Huawei’s position against Apple in China, where customers are clamoring for more AI features and are prepared to pay for them. It also highlights Huawei’s ability to work around US sanctions.

“Compared to the U.S. market, the Chinese market has a greater appetite for AI features,” stated Ben Bajarin, CEO and lead analyst at Creative Strategies. For Apple, “it will be very difficult to bring it to China immediately, so they’ll be going off the merits of the hardware.”

During its June developer conference, Apple revealed Apple Intelligence, a generative AI approach that allows it to create text, photos, and other content at the touch of a button.

But before customers see these improvements, some time will pass.

According to media reports, Apple Intelligence capabilities will likely debut in an operating system software update for the iPhone and iPad in October, while a complete update for Siri, Apple’s voice assistant, won’t likely happen until early next year.

Beijing must provide its approval before Apple Intelligence can be introduced to the Chinese market. The integration of ChatGPT with Siri may be affected by OpenAI’s July blocking of the chatbot’s access in China.

Over half of Apple’s $383 billion in sales last year came from iPhones, so the company’s new gadgets are a significant update. Based in Cupertino, California, Apple is banking that the AI function will encourage customers to upgrade in the midst of a decline in iPhone sales.

In China, Apple aggressively slashed prices earlier this year, prompted by government restrictions and increased domestic competition.
The iPhone 16 lineup will be the first Apple smartphones designed around these AI features, though those will also be available on iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, the top-end versions of the previous-generation devices. New versions of the Apple Watch and AirPods are also expected.

“The software side, and how Apple frames it, is the biggest question,” said Bajarin. “Investors will look for if it’s compelling enough to have a larger-than-normal upgrade cycle.”

Rivals including Alphabet’s (GOOGL.O), opens new tab Google are also showcasing AI features to try to upend Apple’s dominance in the high-end smartphone market.

Google, developer of the Android operating system which competes with Apple’s iOS, traditionally announced its Pixel smartphones in the autumn. This year, it pushed the event to August ahead of Apple’s announcement.

Google focused on AI features including Gemini Live, which allows users to hold live voice conversations with a digital assistant.

Numerous AI features that Google had previously revealed were also made available for Android-based devices manufactured by OEMs including Motorola (MSI.N) and Samsung (005930.KS), opens new tab.

According to Bob O’Donnell, chief analyst at TECHnalysis Research, “the question is who is going to be the first to combine a truly personal AI assistant with knowledge and information that is accurate and personalized.”

The only release date that Apple has provided for Apple Intelligence is in the United States, where it will go live on compatible devices in the fall.

A week after its June developer conference, Apple said that it will postpone the release in Europe because of EU tech regulations.