Alibaba will partner with Apple to support iPhones' AI services offering in China, its chairman said on Thursday, a move likely to help the U.S. company ease falling smartphone sales in its key market.

Apple's deal to put Alibaba Group Holding's artificial intelligence (AI) models on the iPhone has Chinese developers buzzing about the potential of the partnership ahead of the US tech giant's conference in Shanghai next month.

Apple selected Baidu as its main partner last year, but the company's progress in developing models fell short of its standards, the report said.