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Apple’s iPhone 16 Hits Indonesia Stores after Monthslong Ban

Apple's iPhone 16 models have hit the shelves in Indonesia after a monthslong sales ban. BAY ISMOYO / AFP
Apple's iPhone 16 models have hit the shelves in Indonesia after a monthslong sales ban. BAY ISMOYO / AFP
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Apple’s iPhone 16 Hits Indonesia Stores after Monthslong Ban

Apple's iPhone 16 models have hit the shelves in Indonesia after a monthslong sales ban. BAY ISMOYO / AFP
Apple's iPhone 16 models have hit the shelves in Indonesia after a monthslong sales ban. BAY ISMOYO / AFP

Smartphone buyers were cheered by shopkeepers in Jakarta on Friday after Apple's latest smartphone went on sale following a monthslong ban in Indonesia.

The marketing and sale of iPhone 16 models was prohibited by the government in October over Apple’s failure to meet regulation requiring that 40 percent of smartphone components be made from local parts, said AFP.

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.

"I’m very happy to hear from the news because we can buy the iPhone directly from Indonesia," the IT consultant told AFP Friday, adding that he was looking to buy the iPhone 16 Pro model to replace his iPhone 11.

"Because if we buy from the other country... it’s quite hard for example to claim the warranty," 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.

A win for Apple

Jakarta rejected a $100 million investment proposal from Apple in November, saying it lacked the "fairness" required by the government.

The company later agreed to invest $150 million in building two facilities -- one in Bandung in West Java province to produce accessories, and another in Batam for AirTags.

Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita said in February that Apple had also committed to building a semiconductor research and development center in Indonesia, calling it a "first of its kind in Asia".

The iPhone 16's entry into the Indonesian market marks a win for Apple and signaled the economic importance of the country of 280 million people.

"Indonesia is one of the biggest markets for Apple in the Asian region apart from China and so on," said Nailul Huda, director of digital economy at the think tank, Centre of Economic and Law Studies (CELIOS).

The Indonesian government is considering relaxing regulation of the information and communication technology sector ahead of talks with the United States over President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

Chief economic minister Airlangga Hartarto is set to lead a delegation to Washington this month in the hope of striking a better deal after Trump announced a 90-day pause on the harshest tariff against US trading partners.

Indonesia has also banned the sale of Google Pixel phones for failing to meet the 40 percent local parts requirement.

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Technology

Samsung Says Trade Turmoil Raises Chip Business Volatilities, May Hit Phone Demand

A man walks past the logo of Samsung Electronics displayed outside the company's Seocho building in Seoul on April 30, 2025. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP)
A man walks past the logo of Samsung Electronics displayed outside the company's Seocho building in Seoul on April 30, 2025. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP)
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Samsung Says Trade Turmoil Raises Chip Business Volatilities, May Hit Phone Demand

A man walks past the logo of Samsung Electronics displayed outside the company's Seocho building in Seoul on April 30, 2025. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP)
A man walks past the logo of Samsung Electronics displayed outside the company's Seocho building in Seoul on April 30, 2025. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP)

South Korean technology giant Samsung Electronics warned on Wednesday US tariffs could cut demand for products such as smartphones, making it difficult to predict future performance.
According to Reuters, Samsung said it expected its semiconductor business to encounter greater uncertainties throughout the year, while its smartphone shipments faced downward pressure in the second quarter.
The cautious outlook from one of the world's biggest electronics manufacturers reflects the uncertainties roiling global trade due to US President Donald Trump's tariff war, and comes a day after General Motors pulled its annual forecast.
The world's largest memory chipmaker reported a small rise in first-quarter operating profit as customers concerned about US tariffs rushed to purchase smartphones and commodity chips, mitigating the impact of its underperforming artificial intelligence chip business.
It reported 6.7 trillion won ($4.68 billion) in operating profit for the quarter ended in March, up 1.2% from a year earlier and in line with its earlier estimate.
Samsung shares, one of the worst-performing major tech stocks last year, fell 0.4% in line with the broader market.
Steep US tariffs on Chinese goods and toughening restrictions on AI chip sales to China, Samsung's top market, threaten to dampen demand for some of the electronics components the company produces such as chips and smartphone displays.
Trump's "reciprocal" tariffs, most of which have been suspended until July, threaten to hit dozens of countries including Vietnam and South Korea where Samsung produces smartphones and displays.
Samsung said it was considering relocating the production of TVs and home appliances in response to the tariffs.
Chip demand is expected to remain solid in the second quarter, driven by AI servers and preemptive purchasing activities after the pause in tariffs, Samsung said.
But it warned that the frontloading of chip shipments by some customers may have a negative impact on demand later this year.
“We believe that demand uncertainties are growing in the second half as a result of recent changes in tariff policies in major countries, and strengthening of AI chip export controls,” Kim Jae-june, a Samsung vice president in the memory division, said on an earnings call.
Samsung CFO Park Soon-cheol said however that "we cautiously expect the overall performance to gradually improve as we move into the second half, assuming the easing of current uncertainties".
Some analysts were unconvinced, saying the company did not give detailed guidance for its struggling AI chip business.
"With pull-in demand still ongoing and macro uncertainty lingering, the explanation for the 'first-half low, second-half rebound' outlook was lacking," Ryu Young-ho, a senior analyst at NH Investment & Securities said.
AI CHIPS
Samsung's mobile device and network business reported a 23% rise in profit to 4.3 trillion won during the period, reaching its highest level in four years, helped by the latest version of the flagship Galaxy S model with AI features.
Samsung has accelerated smartphone production in Vietnam, India and South Korea ahead of the US duties, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters earlier.
While mobile performed strongly, the chip division's operating profit slumped 42% to 1.1 trillion won from a year earlier despite chip stockpiling by some customers.
Samsung reported a fall in sales of High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) - used in AI processors - due in part to US export controls on AI chips.
Samsung said it had supplied samples of its enhanced HBM3E products to major customers and expected HBM sales, which have bottomed out in the first quarter, to "gradually" rise from the second quarter, without offering detailed targets.
Analysts estimate that about one third of Samsung's HBM revenue has come from China, and it lags behind cross-town rival SK Hynix in supplying such chips to Nvidia in the United States.
SK Hynix last week logged its second-highest quarterly operating profit in the first quarter with a 158% jump to 7.4 trillion won, boosted by strong AI-related demand.
Revenue rose 10% to 79.1 trillion won in the January-to-March period, in line with its earlier estimate of 79 trillion won.