Nusantara, October 28: Indonesia has reportedly banned the sale of iPhone 16 because Apple was not able to deliver on its investment promises. Industry minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita told the media last week that Apple's latest iPhone 16 series, including iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max, was not approved in the country and was marked "illegal" to use and import these devices.

According to a report by Bloomberg, Indonesia, Southeast Asia's largest economy, has banned Apple's latest iPhone 16 smartphones, saying that the tech giant did not fulfill its domestic investment requirements. Apple's next-gen iPhone 16 lineup was launched in September 2024, offering performance upgrades and design tweaks. During its early sale days, the smartphone performed well in various markets. Apple October Launches Starting From Today, Tech Giant To Introduce M4-Powered MacBook Pro, Mac Mini and iMac; Check Which Products Will Be Missed Out.

Indonesia has been one of the significant markets for Apple, and the country's government announced a recent ban as the tech giant is 230 billion rupiah (around USD 15 million) short of fulfilling the investment commitment. Apple pledged to invest around 1.71 trillion rupiah (around USD 109 million) through research and development or R&D facilities. However, the company has been delivering only 1.48 trillion rupiahs (around USD 95 million), which is lower than expected; the government banned the sale of the iPhone 16 series in Indonesia until Apple meets these required investment criteria.

According to reports, the gap would likely affect the company's TKDN certification (Domestic Component Level). This requires Apple to sell 40% of its local content on its devices in Indonesia. Industry minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita said that until the company fulfilled these, it could not continue offering the devices in the region. Diwali 2024 Mobile Offers: Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, iPhone 16 Series, Google Pixel 8 and Others Available at Discounted Rates on Amazon, Flipkart, Apple and Other Websites; All Details Here.

Apple CEO Tim Cook recently visited Jakarta to meet with President Joko Wildodo to explore expansion opportunities in Indonesia and establish Apple Academics for research and development. Despite these discussions with Indonesia's president, the ban was issued. Once Apple fulfills the gap or required investment criteria, it will be allowed to sell its iPhone 16 in Indonesia.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 28, 2024 02:30 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).