If you’re the proud owner of a brand new iPhone 16 you may be worried about that long-awaited trip to Indonesia after recent news. The country has banned the sale and purchase of Apple’s newest phone and, according to initial reports, put measures in place to prevent importing it as well.
Indonesia’s iPhone 16 ban was put in place earlier this month due to Apple not having met its investment promises for the country. As it stands, the Indonesian government is waiting on Apple to invest the remaining $14.75 million, no doubt a paltry amount for the multinational corporation.
These investments are part of the company’s plan to establish “Apple Academies” in Indonesia. In addition, Apple CEO Tim Cook recently visited the country and talked about opening local manufacturing facilities. Such facilities would be a huge boon to the country’s economy and put it in competition with Chinese and Indian industries.
The new camera control button is the main upgrade to the iPhone this year. | Image credit — Apple
But can you, as a tourist, bring your iPhone 16 with you if you’re planning on visiting Indonesia? According to the latest statements from Indonesia’s Industry Ministry: yes, yes you can.
Though sale and purchase of the device is prohibited in the country, tourists are allowed to bring up to two of the phones with them. Similarly, it appears Indonesian citizens can bring an iPhone 16 from abroad as well provided they pay the taxes on it and do not sell it to another party.
This is a huge relief for Apple users in the country as previous reports suggested that phones brought in from another country would be confiscated. However, until Apple meets its investment promises the majority of the country cannot get its hands on the newest iPhone.
This is the least troubling hurdle to iPhone 16 sales outside of the U.S. The EU, for example, has made it a lot more difficult for Apple to retain control of its walled garden. Apple Intelligence, the biggest selling point of the iPhone 16, will remain unavailable in the EU for the foreseeable future.
And, likely due to this awfully fragmented global launch, iPhone 16 production has been cut as the company sees decreasing demand for its latest and greatest phone.
Follow us on social media to catch the latest trending stories, watch exclusive videos, and join the conversation with our vibrant community!
Abdullah is an ardent believer in the future of VR, and can't wait to see what more it brings to the table as technology improves. He enjoys covering new software releases in the XR industry, as well as major news about hardware and companies focused on VR.
Recommended Stories
Loading Comments...
COMMENT
All comments need to comply with our
Community Guidelines
Phonearena comments rules
A discussion is a place, where people can voice their opinion, no matter if it
is positive, neutral or negative. However, when posting, one must stay true to the topic, and not just share some
random thoughts, which are not directly related to the matter.
Things that are NOT allowed:
Off-topic talk - you must stick to the subject of discussion
Offensive, hate speech - if you want to say something, say it politely
Spam/Advertisements - these posts are deleted
Multiple accounts - one person can have only one account
Impersonations and offensive nicknames - these accounts get banned
Moderation is done by humans. We try to be as objective as possible and moderate with zero bias. If you think a
post should be moderated - please, report it.
Have a question about the rules or why you have been moderated/limited/banned? Please,
contact us.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed: