APPLE's launch of the iPhone 16 has failed to impress consumers in China hoping to get a taste of its artificial intelligence (AI) technology, reports Hong Kong's South China Morning Post.

At least not when compared to rival device from Shenzhen's Huawei Technologies.

The Cupertino, California-based smartphone maker has unveiled the highly anticipated iPhone 16 series, its first AI-powered smartphone line-up.

While many Chinese users have expressed excitement about Apple Intelligence, the firm's on-device AI system, others pointed out that the feature will not be available in the Chinese language until next year.

Consumers also questioned whether Apple's promise to roll out the AI function on the Chinese mainland, where generative AI technology is heavily regulated.

To date, China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has approved 188 large language models for public use in the country, none of which are released by foreign companies.

Globally, Apple's built-in AI is powered in part by OpenAI's GPT models, which have not been made available in China. Apple said on its website that the launch date of its AI feature in China will depend on the decision of Chinese regulators.