Apple has officially launched the iPhone 16 in Indonesia, which includes the entire lineup announced last fall, not just the recently unveiled iPhone 16e. New iPhones usually reach other markets within 200 days, but the Indonesian government’s regulations compelled Apple to make a significant investment to introduce the latest iPhone technology to its customers.
Greg Joswiak, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Marketing, shared the news of the launch in a post on X:
Last month, Reuters reported that Apple received clearance to launch the iPhone 16 in Indonesia starting from April 11 after making a $300 million investment. Ben Lovejoy from DMN concisely summarized the events leading to the iPhone 16’s initial ban:
Apple’s initial investment in Indonesia consisted of $109 million for a developer academy along with an additional $10 million for manufacturing. However, the government claimed that Apple fell short of its commitment, having only spent $95 million. Despite this relatively minor shortfall, Indonesia imposed a ban on the sale and use of iPhone 16 models in the country.
[…] In response, Apple offered to increase its manufacturing investment in the region tenfold, raising it from $10 million to $100 million. The government then indicated that it expected an even larger commitment, seeking a staggering $1 billion.
Before the enforcement of the ban in late October, Apple managed to ship only 9,000 iPhone 16 units to Indonesia, which has a population exceeding 283 million. This five-month delay in flagship iPhone sales represented a significant setback for both Apple and consumers in the region, especially considering Indonesia’s restrictions on the use of smartphones purchased abroad through a mandated registration system.
In the United States, meanwhile, a 145% tariff on China is now in effect, an increase from the previous 125% noted during our last update *checks calendar* yesterday. What implications does this have for iPhone sales in the U.S.? Anyone who thinks they have the answer is likely mistaken.
