Jakarta, November 1: After banning the sale of the iPhone 16, Indonesia announced a ban on the sale of Google Pixel smartphones. The government of Indonesia said that Google's phones were not allowed in the country due to non-compliance amid pushing domestic manufacturing. They said it stopped the official distribution of these devices to reduce reliance on importing the technologies. The case is similar to iPhone 16 series, which was banned as Apple failed to meet the local investment requirements.

Indonesia banned the Pixel smartphone because Google failed to comply with regulations requiring a minimum of 40% of locally sourced components. The country's industry ministry spokesperson, Febri Hendri Antoni Arief, reportedly said that the rules for using locally sourced companies were applied to all the investors of Indonesia in all fairness. iPhone 16 Banned in Indonesia: Government Bans Sale of Latest iPhones in Country As Tech Giant Fails To Meet Local Investment Requirement.

Arief said that since Google's products failed to meet the stated requirements of the scheme, they faced a nationwide ban on sales. Similarly,  Apple devices were banned in the world's fourth largest country in terms of population, with 277.5 million people, according to Worlddata.info.

According to the reports, Febri Hendri Antoni Arief further said that customers could still buy Google Pixel smartphones outside Indonesia. They could bring the devices into the country but have to pay all the required taxes. The Indonesian authorities warned that if a Pixel phone is sold illicitly in the country, it will be deactivated. iPhone Global Sales Up 6% at USD 46.2 Billion, Apple CEO Tim Cook Praises iPhone 16 Series Features, Capacities As Services Revenue Hit All-Time High.

Prior to this action, the authorities banned the sale of the iPhone 16 series, including the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max, in Indonesia. The government also marked these Apple devices "illegal" to use and import within the country. The government scheme required the company to sell 40% of its local content on the devices in Indonesia. Industry minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita said Apple needed to fulfil these requirements to sell the iPhone 16 series in Indonesia.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 01, 2024 07:30 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).