Indonesia plans to block Apple 16's IMEI number

It seems that Indonesian consumers will need to be more patient waiting for Apple's latest iPhone 16 smartphone, which is not only not approved for sale, but there is also the threat of blocking the IMEI.The Ministry of Industry is preparing to block the iPhone 16 from being available in the country, so Indonesian citizens who own an iPhone 16, whether purchased from an e-commerce company or through a foreign country, must be prepared for their new phone to be unusable. The Ministry of Industry estimates that around 9,000 iPhone 16s have made their way into Indonesia since its launch in the U.S. This latest range of products produced by Apple is not allowed to be sold in Indonesia. In addition to this, the Ministry of Industry will take legal action against the parties involved in the promotion of the iPhone 16 series in the online marketplace due to an alleged violation of Article 35 of Government Regulation No. 46 of 2021 on Post, Telecommunications and Broadcasting. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Industry said that the iPhone 16 series brought in by passengers is legal to enter the country, but it is illegal to buy and sell it in the country, due to the fact that it no longer meets the intended purpose of the cell phone when it was processed for a permit to enter Indonesia, i.e. personal use. Therefore they are considering that iPhone 16 series entering through passenger luggage will have the IMEI deactivated if it is proven to be bought and sold in Indonesia.

So far, Apple has been licensed to import and sell its cell phone and tablet products.Between 2023 and 2024, Indonesia imported a total of 3.8 million units of Apple products. If we assume that the average selling price of Apple's electronic devices in Indonesia is Rp 5 million per unit, that would amount to Rp 19 trillion in sales a year, and if we add in the imports and sales of its HKT products since 2017, the sales would of course be even higher. Ironically, with such a high value of sales, it will be difficult for them to 100% in 8 years to fulfill their investment commitments in Indonesia worth Rp 1.7 trillion. To date, the iPhone is the only 4G technology cell phone product that still relies on imports. Other manufacturers such as Samsung, Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi produce phones that are fully assembled in Indonesia to meet minimum local content (TKDN) requirements. Apple can sell iPhones in Indonesia without opening a manufacturing facility because it uses the investment pathway TKDN fulfillment program, i.e. by opening Apple Academy training centers. However, the license has expired and Apple will have to invest more if it wants to import and sell the iPhone 16 in Indonesia again.