JAKARTA – Smartphone buyers were cheered by shopkeepers in Jakarta on April 11 after Apple’s latest smartphone went on sale following a months-long ban in Indonesia.

The marketing and sale of iPhone 16 models was prohibited by the government in October over Apple’s failure to meet regulations requiring that 40 per cent of smartphone components be made from local parts.

But the US tech titan announced in March that its latest smartphone models would hit the shelves, weeks after striking a deal with the Indonesian government to invest in the country.

Mr Albert Wongso, 34, said he was very happy to learn that the iPhone 16s were now available in Indonesia.

“I’m very happy to hear from the news because we can buy the iPhone directly from Indonesia,” the IT consultant said, adding that he was looking to buy the iPhone 16 Pro model to replace his iPhone 11.

“Because if we buy from (another) country… it’s quite hard, for example, to claim the warranty,” he said.

While the ban was in place, the government had allowed iPhone 16 models to be brought into the country, provided they were not being traded commercially.

A win for Apple

Jakarta rejected a US$100 million (S$132 million) investment proposal from Apple in November, saying it lacked the “fairness” required by the government.

The company later agreed to invest US$150 million in building two facilities: one in Bandung in West Java province to produce accessories, and another in Batam for AirTags.

Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita said in February that Apple also committed to building a semiconductor research and development centre in Indonesia, calling it a “first of its kind in Asia”.

The iPhone 16‘s entry into the Indonesian market marks a win for Apple and signalled the economic importance of the country of 280 million people.

“Indonesia is one of the biggest markets for Apple in the Asian region apart from China and so on,” said Mr Nailul Huda, director of digital economy at the think tank, Centre of Economic and Law Studies.

The Indonesian government is considering relaxing regulation of the information and communication technology sector ahead of