Well, well, well: although it exists Banned for sale in Indonesia, and iPhone 16 finds its way into the country, as it turns out!

The Indonesian Ministry of Industry reported that approximately 12,000 iPhone 16 units It entered the country as of November 2024. This data, taken from the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) system, includes devices brought in through two channels: passenger baggage, which is limited to two units per person and its resale is prohibited, and diplomatic baggage shipments facilitated by the Ministry of Communications and Technology. Information.

Ministry spokesman Febre Hendry Anthony Arif explained that the CEIR system recorded more than 12,000 cases iPhone 16 IMEIs (IMEI is a unique 15-digit digital identifier). However, data released by the Finance Ministry’s Directorate General of Customs and Excise (DJBC) showed a lower figure of 5,448 units entered between January and October 2024.

Apple has not yet secured a distribution extension iPhone 16 Devices in Indonesia due to not meeting the requirements for local component level certification, which imposes nearly half of the plug-in iPhone 16 To be manufactured locally.

Although Apple has committed to investing $1 billion in building an AirTag manufacturing facility in Batam, Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita has confirmed that this investment does not meet the criteria for issuing a sales certificate for iPhones.

The Batam plant is expected to produce 65% of global AirTag supplies. However, Agus noted that AirTags are classified as accessories and do not qualify under regulations governing cell phones, laptops and tablets.

Apple, which lacks manufacturing facilities in Indonesia despite the country’s large market of 280 million people, has been running app developer academies there since 2018. To meet Indonesia’s local content requirements, the company must renew its investment commitments every three years. Its previous $10 million commitment expired in 2023, requiring a new agreement for 2024-2026.