Indonesia announces 'unleashing' date for iPhone 16

According to WCCF Tech , after months of sales suspension in the Indonesian market, Apple's iPhone 16 product line will officially be allowed to return to this Southeast Asian country starting April 11. The decision to lift the ban was made after Apple announced a plan to invest more than $300 million in Indonesia, resolving long-standing issues with the country's government .

iPhone 16 series is about to return to Indonesia after months of sales ban

PHOTO: GADGETMATCH SCREENSHOT

Apple successfully 'pours money' to put iPhone 16 back on sale

The ban on the sale of iPhone 16 was applied by Indonesian authorities from October 2024. The main reason is that Apple is said to not fully meet the requirements of the mandatory Local Content Ratio (TKDN - Tingkat Komponen Dalam Negeri) for smartphone products sold in this market.

It is worth noting that the iPhone 16 series had previously been certified by the Indonesian Ministry of Industry to have a 40% TKDN ratio, higher than the basic requirement of 35%. This led to months of tense negotiations between the US tech giant and the Indonesian government.

The Indonesian government's green light for the iPhone 16 is seen as a direct result of Apple's strong investment commitments. According to the announcement on March 26, Apple will implement a plan to invest more than $300 million in Indonesia. This investment includes the establishment of local research and development (R&D) centers and the implementation of training programs to develop Indonesian technology talent, meeting one of the key requirements of the government of this country.

In addition to R&D, Apple has also committed to expanding its manufacturing operations in Indonesia. However, the company will initially focus on manufacturing accessories. Specifically, the AirTag tracking device will be manufactured at a factory on Batam Island, operated by partner Luxshare Precision Industry. AirTag output from this factory is expected to account for up to 20% of total global output. In addition, Apple also plans to build another facility in Bandung to produce other types of accessories.

Notably, up to now, Apple has not announced plans to assemble its flagship product, the iPhone, in Indonesia. If this does not change, Apple could become the only major smartphone company present in this market without direct iPhone production in the country.

The months-long ban is said to have caused significant damage to Apple, possibly amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars in potential revenue in the world's fourth most populous market (about 280 million people). The resumption of iPhone 16 sales from April 11 marks the end of a period of 'unhappy rice, unsweetened soup' between Apple and the Indonesian government.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/indonesia-cong-bo-ngay-coi-troi-cho-iphone-16-185250327221857386.htm