According to reports, tech giant Apple has proposed to raise its investment in Indonesia in an effort to convince the government to relax the iPhone 16 sales restriction.
According to those familiar with the situation, the plan would see Apple invest about $100 million in the nation. According to media sources, the US$100 million investment would also include a professional developer academy and a research and development center program.
Hendri Febri According to reports, Minister Agus Gumiwant Kartasasmita called an internal meeting to discuss the matter, according to Antoni Arif, spokesperson for Indonesia’s ministry of industry. It also disclosed that Apple intended to start manufacturing supplementary product parts, like the AirPods Max mesh, in Bandung in July 2025.
According to Febri, the ministry discussed at the discussion if Apple’s investment value was reasonable in comparison to other nations that are popular investment destinations, like Vietnam and India. The ministry also discussed whether the plan would be equitable for other investors in Indonesia’s tablet, mobile phone, and portable computer markets.
The Indonesian government said earlier in November of this year that Apple’s most recent iPhone 16 would not be sold in Indonesia because to its noncompliance with the nation’s regulations regarding the usage of domestically produced parts.
The iPhone 16 has not complied with Indonesian rules requiring some domestically sold handsets to include at least 40% locally manufactured parts.
According to a ministry spokesperson earlier this month, “Apple Indonesia has not fulfilled its investment commitment to earn a local content certification, so imported iPhone 16 hardwares cannot be marketed in the country.” However, the phones can still be imported for personal use.
Shortly after the action, the Indonesian government announced that Google Pixel smartphones would be prohibited for the same reason—that is, because they did not comply with domestic content regulations.
According to Tech Crunch, the Industry Ministry official stated that Google needs to get local content approval before starting sales again. The local content criterion and associated measures, he continued, are designed to be equitable for all investors in Indonesia.