Apple Reportedly Close to a Deal to Lift iPhone 16 Ban in Indonesia

Apple is closing in on an investment plan deal with Indonesian authorities that would allow it to resume iPhone 16 sales in the country, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday.

iPhone 16 Apple Store Levels
Indonesia banned sales of the device in October, claiming Apple had failed to comply with local manufacturing requirements of 35% domestic content for smartphones and tablets. Apple has offered a $1 billion investment in the country that includes building an AirTag factory. The offer is a significant increase from its previous offers of $10 million and $100 million, which were rejected by the government.

“I strongly believe it will resolve very, very soon,” the country's investment minister Rosan Roeslani said in an interview with Bloomberg Television in Davos on Tuesday. "Hopefully within one or two weeks this issue can be resolved."

"The way they calculate it is different I think," he said, referring to the local content requirement. "Now they find a solution on that one, so hopefully they accept the discrepancies so we can have the iPhone 16 sold in Indonesia."

Indonesia represents a significant market for Apple, with the country's population of 280 million operating some 354 million active mobile phones. The company has maintained developer academies there since 2018, but the country currently hosts no Apple manufacturing facilities.

Popular Stories

M3 iPad Air

Apple's Next Two Products Are Coming Soon

Thursday February 12, 2026 11:17 am PST by
Apple plans to release an iPhone 17e and an iPad Air with an M4 chip "in the coming weeks," according to the latest word from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "Apple retail employees say that inventory of the iPhone 16e has basically dried out and the iPad Air is seeing shortages as well," said Gurman. "I've been expecting new versions of both (iPhone 17e and M4 iPad Air) in the coming weeks."...
Apple Sales Coach App

Apple Launching New 'Sales Coach' App

Friday February 13, 2026 2:01 pm PST by
Apple plans to launch a rebranded "Sales Coach" app on the iPhone and iPad later this month, according to a source familiar with the matter. "Sales Coach" will arrive as an update to Apple's existing "SEED" app, and it will continue to provide sales tips and training resources to Apple Store and Apple Authorized Reseller employees around the world. For example, there are articles and videos...
m5 macbook pro deal

Why You Shouldn't Buy the Next MacBook Pro

Tuesday February 10, 2026 4:27 pm PST by
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models as soon as early March, but if you can, this is one generation you should skip because there's something much better in the works. We're waiting on 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, with few changes other than the processor upgrade. There won't be any tweaks to the design or the display, but later this...
Coffee Burgundy and Purple iPhone 18 Pro Mock

Five iPhone 18 Pro Features Revealed in New Report

Friday February 13, 2026 8:43 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are still seven months away, an analyst has revealed five new features the devices will allegedly have. Rumored color options for the iPhone 18 Pro models In a research note with investment firm GF Securities on Thursday, analyst Jeff Pu outlined the following upgrades for the iPhone 18 Pro models: Smaller Dynamic Island: It has been rumored...
macbook air prime day 2025

M5 MacBook Air: Release Date, Features, and Performance Predictions

Wednesday February 11, 2026 3:36 am PST by
The MacBook Air is Apple's most popular laptop – a thin, fanless machine that wields quiet power thanks to the efficiency of Apple silicon. While the M4 model isn't exactly old, attention is already turning to its successor. Apple doesn't telegraph new product launches ahead of time, but we can draw a surprisingly clear picture of what to expect by looking at Apple's silicon roadmap,...

Top Rated Comments

14 months ago

Didn't they already pay one bribe, and now Indonesia wants a second one?

I think we are on to at least the third one now.
No. Nothing has been officially agreed to yet. Also, governments can set requirements and fees regarding companies doing business in their country/region. Given the investment components here, I don’t think it would or should necessarily be viewed as a bribe anyway.

At this point, Apple is trying to (at least temporarily) get around the domestic content laws through this process.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
14 months ago
I don’t hate Apple for this.
I don’t hate Indonesia for this.

I think I’m on the wrong forum.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
surferfb Avatar
14 months ago

Didn't they already pay one bribe, and now Indonesia wants a second one?
Kind of. They proposed the $1 billion "investment", the President said "that works" (as reported by Bloomberg) then the Minister came back and said "never mind, we need more." So nothing was actually paid, but the shakedown continued.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
wanha Avatar
14 months ago
Basic physics - in order to lift something, you need leverage
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
14 months ago

Didn't they already pay one bribe, and now Indonesia wants a second one?
I think we are on to at least the third one now.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
14 months ago
Once that ban is lifted there will be a pent up demand surge of buying iPhone 16s that’s for sure.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)