Apple brings iPhone 16 back to Indonesia after five-month ban

Users in Indonesia finally have access to the entire iPhone 16 lineup – months after the global release and thanks to a multi-million dollar investment by Apple. Sales officially launched on April 11, but the launch masked a complicated history of financial commitments and government requirements that affected the timing of the devices in the country.

While Apple traditionally brings new models to international markets within 200 days of announcement, in the case of Indonesia the situation was far more complicated. Government authorities halted sales due to what they perceived as a lack of investment by the company in the local economy.

Why the iPhone 16 didn’t sell in Indonesia

The story began when Apple invested $109 million to set up an educational academy for developers in Indonesia, and also allocated $10 million to start production facilities. However, the country’s authorities said the actual expenditure amounted to only $95 million, which didn’t match the original promises. Even with such a small discrepancy, the government has imposed a ban on the sale and use of the entire iPhone 16 lineup.

The government has also banned the sale and use of the entire iPhone 16 lineup.

The situation forced Apple to significantly increase its investment: the company increased its production budget from $10 million to $100 million. Indonesian authorities, for their part, were expecting an even bigger step – 10 times as much investment, up to a billion dollars.

The situation has forced Apple to significantly increase its investment, raising its production budget from $10 million to $100 million.

Before the ban went into effect last October, Apple had managed to import just 9,000 iPhone 16 devices into the country. With Indonesia’s population exceeding 283 million people, the company lost a serious chunk of potential sales over the course of five months.

And with Indonesia’s population exceeding 283 million, the company has lost a serious chunk of potential sales over the course of five months.

Apple has returned to the market with new terms

The situation was only unblocked after the corporation agreed to an additional financial stake in local infrastructure. According to Reuters, a key condition for the resumption of shipments was a new $300 million investment agreement. That paved the way for official sales to resume from April 11.

Apple’s senior vice president of marketing Greg Jozwiak confirmed the launch of the devices in Indonesia in his post on the X platform. Users can now buy not only the base versions but also the extended models, including the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max.

Indonesia’s tough measures and new challenges in the U.S. market

It’s important to note that Indonesia strictly regulates the circulation of imported smartphones. Devices bought outside the country are subject to mandatory registration – otherwise they can’t be used on the national mobile networks. That’s another factor that deters gray imports and makes official shipments especially important to Apple.