Indonesia has banned sales of the Google Pixel 9 and iPhone 16

Indonesia has banned the sale of Google Pixel and iPhone 16 smartphones. The reason is that the devices of these brands do not meet the country's requirements for localisation of production.

Here's What We Know

According to the rules, 40 per cent of smartphone components sold in Indonesia must be manufactured domestically. Neither Apple nor Google was able to reach this figure, which led to the ban.

A spokesperson for Indonesia's Ministry of Industry explained that users can continue to use their devices if they were purchased abroad and the relevant taxes have been paid. However, authorities may consider deactivating unofficially imported devices.

These measures are aimed at incentivising local production and supporting domestic suppliers. However, some experts believe that such rules could scare away investors and lead to negative consequences for the economy. OPPO and Samsung remain the market leaders in Indonesia, while Google and Apple have a much smaller share.

Source: Reuters