Smartphone buyers were cheered by shopkeepers in Jakarta on Friday after Apple鈥檚 latest smartphone went on sale following a months-long ban in Indonesia.
The marketing and sale of iPhone 16 models was prohibited by the government in October over Apple鈥檚 failure to meet regulation requiring that 40 per cent of smartphone components be made from local parts.
But the US tech titan announced last month that its latest smartphone models would hit the shelves, weeks after striking a deal with the Indonesian government to invest in the country.
Albert Wongso, 34, told AFP outside the store he was very happy to learn that the iPhone 16s were now available in Indonesia.
鈥業鈥檓 very happy to hear from the news because we can buy the iPhone directly from Indonesia,鈥� the IT consultant told AFP Friday, adding that he was looking to buy the iPhone 16 Pro model to replace his iPhone 11.
鈥楤ecause if we buy from the other country... it鈥檚 quite hard for example to claim the warranty,鈥� he said.
While the ban was in place, the government had allowed iPhone 16 models to be brought into the country, provided they were not being traded commercially.
Jakarta rejected a $100 million investment proposal from Apple in November, saying it lacked the 鈥榝airness鈥� required by the government.
The company later agreed to invest $150 million in building two facilities 鈥� one in Bandung in West Java province to produce accessories, and another in Batam for AirTags.
