The Indonesian government has issued a directive banning the sale of Google’s Pixel smartphones in the country. The minister of industry in Indonesia stated that Google has not invested enough in the country, failing to meet the specified requirements. This is similar to the ban on Apple’s iPhone 16 earlier this week.
According to Indonesian regulations, foreign manufacturers of smartphones and tablets must invest at least 40% of product sales in various formats such as manufacturing, software development, or other forms of investment in the country.
However, the case of Google Pixel may differ from the iPhone 16 as Google has not officially sold this smartphone in the country but it is available through grey market and online stores. Reports indicate that around 22,000 units have been imported, and if these units are sold or used, there may be legal repercussions, potentially leading to IMEI-level blocking.
You may wonder if smartphones from other brands will be affected as well. Reports suggest that Samsung and Xiaomi have already met Indonesia’s 40% investment requirements and are therefore able to sell their smartphones as usual.
Source: Malay Mail
TLDR: Indonesian government prohibits the sale of Google Pixel due to insufficient investment, while Samsung and Xiaomi remain unaffected as they have met the investment criteria.
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