The iPhone 16 is on the verge of finally making its way to Indonesia. According to a report by Bloomberg, the island nation has struck a deal with Apple to lift the ban on iPhone 16 sales. As part of the agreement, Apple will invest $1 billion in Indonesia and provide training to locals in the company’s research and development processes to enable them to create their own products.
Indonesia initially banned the iPhone 16 in October after Apple fell short of meeting its local infrastructure investment target of 1.71 trillion rupiah ($109 million) by about $15 million. Since then, Apple has been increasing its financial commitments to overturn the ban. Initially offering $10 million, the company later upped the ante to $100 million. By December, Indonesia’s investment minister, Rosan Roeslani, confirmed that Apple had raised the investment amount to $1 billion.
Despite Apple’s increased offer, the Indonesian government continued to push for further benefits, such as the inclusion of research and development training. Apple also committed to establishing a plant in Batam to manufacture AirTags, with the aim of eventually accounting for 20% of the world’s production. Additionally, Indonesia’s industry minister, Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita, announced that Apple had settled a $10 million debt related to violations occurring between 2020 and 2023.
While an agreement has been reported, the actual availability of the iPhone 16 in Indonesia remains uncertain until sales officially commence. Nevertheless, Indonesia’s progress from a payment deficit to securing an additional $1 billion investment and training is commendable.
This article was originally published on Engadget at [insert original link here].
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