Amid growing speculation, the fate of the iPhone 16 in Indonesia remains uncertain. There has been no official announcement from the Indonesian government confirming the ban, yet reports from major Indonesian publications like Kompas.com suggest that the iPhone 16 may indeed be off-limits for sale in the country. Indonesian Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita reportedly said that the iPhone 16 could not be sold because it lacks proper certification due to Apple not meeting investment requirements.

A closer look reveals that many of Indonesia’s top e-commerce platforms, including Tokopedia, Blibli, and Lazada, have avoided listing the iPhone 16. While accessories are available on these platforms, the device itself is absent. Even Apple’s official website in Indonesia is not selling the iPhone 16 or any models in the latest lineup, indicating that the ban may indeed be in place, although no formal government order has been issued. .

The problem arose primarily from Apple’s failure to meet certain investment obligations. So far, Apple has invested Rs 1.48 trillion of the committed Rs 1.71 trillion, leaving a shortfall of Rs 230 billion. This gap influences the issuance of TKDN (Domestic Component Level) certification, which mandates a 40 percent local content requirement for foreign devices sold in Indonesia.

“We, the Ministry of Industry, are not yet able to issue permits for the iPhone 16 because there are still some commitments that Apple must meet,” Minister Kartasasmita told Kompas.

Additionally, the Kompas site reported that Kartasasmita had issued a clear warning to consumers, saying, “If there is an iPhone 16 that can work in Indonesia, that means I can say, the device is illegal. We need to know about it.” report a.”

The situation worsened following Apple CEO Tim Cook’s recent visit to Jakarta, where he met with President Joko Widodo to discuss manufacturing prospects. However, unless Apple fulfills its pledge to further invest in Indonesian facilities, including the establishment of local Apple Academies for R&D, the future of the iPhone 16 in the Indonesian market is in limbo.

Since Apple’s TKDN certification is still under review, Indonesian customers may have to wait longer to receive the latest iPhone lineup, depending on the tech giant’s next move.