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In iOS 18.1 Beta, Apple launched a sneak attack on users, saying that AI will be available next year, but it suddenly launched AI features. Unfortunately, Apple Intelligence is currently only available to users in the United States.

In fact, when I first saw that "Chinese and European users cannot use it", I didn't take it too seriously. After all, I have been using iPhone for so many years, who doesn't have a few Apple accounts in other regions? But everyone knows what happened later.This time, Apple has adopted a stricter locking mechanism. Even if you log in to a US Apple account on a Chinese iPhone, change the language and region, or even use a US SIM card for roaming, you cannot activate the Apple smart function on the phone.

Because of this, many of Xiao Lei’s colleagues have plans to buy overseas versions of mobile phones. But can “buying overseas versions” really solve the problem?

This has to start with Apple's locking mechanism.

What is an activation policy?

For any international brand, in order to ensure that their products are legal and compliant in various markets, the brand will impose certain restrictions on the functions of the product. Taking Apple's iPhone as an example, function restrictions generally have two methods: hardware and software:Hardware lock refers to whether the phone is equipped with a corresponding hardware module. For example, the US version of the iPhone has a millimeter wave antenna but no physical SIM card slot.

The software locking methods are more complicated. From "strict" to "loose", they can be divided into "activation policy", geographic location, Apple account region, mobile phone region, and mobile phone language. Everyone is familiar with the latter few, but we will talk about the activation policy in detail, after all, this is also the most easily misunderstood restriction method.

Image source: IPSW Download

We know that no matter where the iPhone is sold, the iOS used is the same "firmware package", which means that this firmware package actually has the most complete functions. But when activating an iPhone, the phone will send its serial number to Apple's server. After Apple's server knows where the iPhone is sold through the serial number, it will send the corresponding "activation policy" to the phone, and this "activation policy" includes which iOS functions to enable or disable.

For example, the activation policy for domestic mobile phones disables FaceTime Audio (audio-only FaceTime) and enables the cellular network management option in the settings.The Japanese version's "photo shutter sound" option, the early Chinese version's "low battery reminder sound", the Hong Kong version's "automatic power on during charging" and other options are also controlled by the activation strategy.The Apple smartphone that cannot be used in the European and Chinese versions is also determined by the "activation policy".

Image credit: Apple

Because the activation policy is bound to the phone serial number, users often perceive the activation policy lock as a "hardware lock." But in fact, there are fundamental differences between hardware locks and "activation policy locks":Hardware locks cannot be modified unless the hardware is modified, but activation policies can be modified.

Taking iPhone as an example, there was a period of time when the Hong Kong iPhone Xs could not use the CDMA standard (China Telecom) in the mainland, and telecom users could only choose the mainland version of the iPhone Xs with full network support. However, in a later system update, Apple modified the activation policy of the Hong Kong version of the iPhone Xs in the background, no longer restricting the CDMA network. Users only need to reset the phone and return to the activation interface to initialize with the new activation policy and activate the CDMA usage rights in the mainland.

The American version is not the answer

So what does this have to do with the fact that domestic mobile phones cannot use Apple smartphones?

That’s right, Apple’s options for Apple intelligence in iOS 18.1 Beta are issued based on activation policies. This means that at this time, iPhones sold in China cannot enable the corresponding functions. But activation policies are just one of the ways iOS restricts software functions.

For example, the opening of side-loading in the European Union, which is considered to be Apple's "surrender", is the result of the combined restrictions of activation strategy, geographic location, and mobile phone region.In order to comply with regulations, Apple can add Apple Smart’s geographic location restrictions or even SIM card region restrictions in subsequent updates. After all, for foreign companies to launch AI-related businesses in the mainland market, it has never been a question of “whether they want to” but “whether they can”.

Besides, even if Apple does not lift this restriction, using the US iPhone in mainland China is far less convenient than before. First of all,Apple Smart is currently an exclusive feature of the iPhone 15 Pro series, and the US version of the iPhone 15 Pro series only supports eSIM.Physical SIM cards are no longer supported. The four major domestic operators and a number of virtual operators do not provide independent eSIM services for mobile phones, so even if you have a mobile phone, you can't use it.

Image credit: Apple

Yes, some operators in Hong Kong will provide eSIM numbers that can be used in the Mainland, and can be used for roaming in the Mainland, but roaming also brings high charges. Even the so-called "Greater Bay Area Package" is far less cost-effective than the Internet packages of mainland operators.

If you can tolerate this, the US version of the iPhone still needs to face warranty issues. If you want to send a US version of the iPhone to a domestic Apple Store for repair, you need to bring a "full set" of information including the original purchase record, exit record, etc. The Apple Store can also refuse to provide after-sales service (including after-sales service at your own expense) for foreign phones at any time.

Even if the store is willing to repair your US version iPhone, or you purchased AC+, since the domestic Apple Store will not have the motherboard of the US version of the phone, when necessary, the US version iPhone you "worked hard" to buy will become a domestic version, and it will not be a brand new official replacement phone.

Apple AI is full of uncertainty

On the other hand, even if you overcome all difficulties and use Apple smartphones, the experience is quite limited. Leaving aside external factors such as language support,Apple's intelligence mainly performs calculations locally without server delays, but when it comes to external information, Apple's intelligence also needs to access corresponding external services, such as Wiki and YouTube.

in addition,Apple smartphones themselves face many problems：Apple's collaborative AI involves a lot of data sharing and processing, especially in the fields of speech recognition and image processing, which require the collection and analysis of users' personal data. These data are at risk of being leaked or abused during transmission and storage. Even if some AI will first desensitize user data in the local model of the phone, user privacy may be seriously infringed if the data is not managed properly.

This risk is particularly prominent in cross-border cooperation. Different countries and regions have different laws and regulations on data protection, which may result in different levels of protection for data during cross-border transmission.There are also extremely strict restrictions on the "going overseas" of user data in China. Manufacturers and partners need to establish strict data protection mechanisms to ensure the security and privacy of user data.

Image credit: Apple

Instead of trying out the US version of Apple smartphones, it’s better to wait for next year’s localized Apple smartphones, or use apps from other domestic AI companies to satisfy your cravings first.

And don't forget that Apple's start in the field of AI is seriously behind other companies. Even if Apple's intelligence can be launched on time, compared with other manufacturers who introduced end-side generative AI mobile phones as early as January this year, Apple's launch speed is really slow, and Apple has hardly brought any new AI features, including AI writing assistance, image generation, transcription and summary.

If the iPhone can achieve true personalized intelligence and provide answers with practical reference value by integrating various information and services from different applications on the device, this will undoubtedly be a major turning point in AI redefining the industry. However, judging from the current situation, Apple's AI road still has a long way to go.

Any manufacturer that takes the lead in making a breakthrough will drive the entire industry to achieve a technological leap. For users, we just need to wait patiently, observe the pros and cons of many AI products, and finally choose the AI ​​product that suits us. Whether it is iPhone or Android, the most important thing is to be easy to use.

But if you really can't wait and want to experience Apple's smart technology now, immediately,Then compared to the US version of iPhone that cannot insert a card, the Japanese version of iPhone with both "physical + eSIM" may be more suitable for you.

In the first half of 2024, the technology circle is surging.
Big models are being put into practice at an accelerated pace, with AI applications emerging in an endless stream, including AI mobile phones, AI PCs, AI home appliances, AI search, and AI e-commerce.
Vision Pro is now available in China, setting off a new wave of XR spatial computing;
HarmonyOS NEXT is officially released, and the mobile OS ecosystem has changed;
Automobiles have fully entered the "second half", and intelligence has become a top priority;
Competition in e-commerce is increasingly fierce, with low prices and even lower services;
The wave of going overseas is surging, and Chinese brands are embarking on the journey of globalization;

In the hottest month of July, Lei Technology's mid-year review is launched, summarizing the brands, technologies and products worth recording in the first half of 2024 in the technology industry, recording the past and looking forward to the future. Please pay attention.