In October 2024, the Ministry of Industry of Indonesia banned the iPhone 16 as Apple did not complete the local content requirement of up to 40 percent of the country. Apple had promised investment, but it only invested 1.48 trillion of the promises of 1.71 trillion rupee, which could not issue the TKDN/IMEI certificate and the sale of the phone was declared illegal.

Apple later extended its proposal to $ 1 billion and proposed to set up Airtag factory on Batam Island. However, Indonesia’s Industries Minister Agus Gumiwang described it as inadequate and clarified that the Airtag factory does not listen to it only in the components of the iPhone. In February 2025, an agreement was reached between Apple and the Government of Indonesia. Apple promised to set up a local R&D and manufacturing facility to invest $ 1 billion, after which the ban of iPhone 16 became a way to lift the ban.

Indonesia’s message is clear that if the Apple iPhone 17 wants to launch and sell, it must first meet the local manufacturing and materials regarding the material. The government has also indicated that the iPhone 17 can also be banned if the rules are not followed.

So far, the complete ban by the government on the iPhone has been implemented only in Indonesia. On the other hand, the iPhone 14 and 15 models were banned in Iran, which increased their prices significantly and has created a side-conomy position.

The prices of iPhone globally are different from the country. The difference arises due to tax, exchange rate and local policies. America (USA): The price of iphone’s original (Unlocked) models is the lowest in the US starts at US $ 1,599.

At the same time, compared to Europe, the lowest price of iPhone 16 Pro in South Korea is around € 903. Due to Hong Kong, being a tax-free zone, iPhones are usually cheap. Many times it is less than the price of US. Other low-tax countries such as Japan, Canada, and UAE also sometimes offer better deals.

On the other hand, the price of iPhone in Turkey is doubled from the US level to double because there is a lot of consumption tax (öTV) and VAT. In Brazil and some other developing countries, the price of iPhone is high due to inflation. Currently, the official sale of iPhone 16 in Indonesia is banned while some models are banned in Iran. If the cheapest iPhone is to be purchased then the US and South Korea are the top options. Hong Kong, Japan, Canada, and UAE can also prove to be good options due to tax-free or low tax policy.