After iPhone Ban: Indonesia Bans Sales of Pixel Smartphones 173 comments
After Indonesia stopped the sale and use of the iPhone 16 series a few days ago due to unrealized investments Apple had been banned, Google‘s Pixel smartphones are now suffering the same fate.
Google also misses investments
As in Apple At Google, the sales ban is also linked to unrealized investments in Indonesia. Accordingly, manufacturers who sell their products in Indonesia must either have at least 40 percent of the device manufactured in Indonesia, which may also include the software, or make investments of a corresponding amount in the country. This requirement is intended to help promote the local economy and create jobs.
Apple With investments of $95 million, the company missed its target of $109 million by only $14 million. No figures are known from Google and it has not been communicated which Pixel smartphones are affected or whether the ban on sale and use applies to all models. Not only is the sale of new devices like the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL (test) banned; Indonesian residents are also no longer allowed to use smartphones due to this ban.
Same rules for everyone
Industry Ministry spokesperson Febri Hendri Antoni Arief told local media that the project aims to “create a level playing field for all investors investing in Indonesia” and is part of a broader strategy to deepen the industrial base and create added value. Google products do not adhere to this system and therefore cannot be sold in Indonesia, continued Febri Hendri Antoni Arief.
Google does not officially sell in Indonesia at all
Aside from the damage to Google’s image, the sales ban will likely have much less impact on Google than on Apple, as their own Pixel smartphones are currently not officially offered in Indonesia. Also Apple but not among the top 5 smartphone manufacturers in Indonesia. With almost 280 million inhabitants, the country is not a small market, but one of the largest in Southeast Asia.
Updated November 2, 2024 at 2:00 p.m.
Everything is clear for tourists with iPhone 16 and Pixel
Responsible Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita announced the ban on the iPhone 16 in mid-week Apple While he still communicated severe repression and referred to the fact that “every iPhone 16 on Indonesian soil” was illegal, since this quote , his ministry, when asked, defined significantly more lax regulations, which probably also concern the ban on the new Google. Pixels.
Up to two banned smartphones allowed
As Indonesian news agency Antara and Jakarta Globe quoted spokesperson Febri Hendri Antoni Arief, tourists can take up to two iPhone 16s with them when traveling through the Southeast Asian country, provided that the iPhone is not sold and is used for private purposes only.
The iPhone 16 series that enters Indonesia via passenger luggage must not be exchanged and is limited to personal use
Antoine Arief
These regulations apply not only to tourists, but also to airline crew members. Theoretically, even importation by post seems permitted, provided that the purchase does not take place in the country and applicable taxes are paid upon importation. Smartphone trading in Indonesia remains strictly prohibited.
Meanwhile, iPhone 16 phones purchased by passengers and crew or sent by post and not sold are allowed to enter Indonesia, ministry spokesperson Febri Hendri Antoni Arief clarified on Friday.
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The article has been updated accordingly.
Themes: Google Google Pixel Smartphones Source: Reuters
Sarah tracks innovations in smartphones, evaluating their performance, design, and key features.
