Indonesia banned the sales of Google Pixel phones just days after it did the same with iPhone 16 devices. The reason remains the same – the company failed to provide 40% content, so its units will be blocked from getting a certification to operate in the Asian country.
Local media outlet Kontan reported that 22,000 Pixels were already in the country through personal shipments or carry-on items, quoting a Ministry of Industry spokesperson after a press briefing.
40% local content must be provided by manufacturing products locally, developing software locally, or setting up R&D centers locally. Some analysts believe Indonesia is applying such restrictive policies to obtain greater investments from foreign companies.
Currently, Indonesia is the biggest economy in Southeast Asia, with a GDP of over $1 trillion.It is a major growth market for smartphone sales, and expectations are that it could have up to 350 million active mobile phones, much more than the country’s 285 million population.