iPhone 7 Pre-Orders in Indonesia Begin March 24 Following Apple R&D Investment

Indonesian carrier Smartfren has announced it will begin accepting iPhone 7 pre-orders on Friday, March 24. Pricing has not been disclosed, but customers can sign up on Smartfren’s website to receive more information. In-store sales at select authorized resellers will begin on Friday, March 31.

While the iPhone 7 has been available in many other countries since September, the Indonesian government recently enacted a policy that requires 4G-capable smartphones to have at least 30 percent “local content,” which can be hardware, software, or in this case, a commitment to invest in the country.

Apple satisfied the requirements of that policy when it committed around $44 million towards research and development in Indonesia over three years, which will include building an iOS App Development Center in the country. Apple received a “local content certification,” allowing it to sell iPhones throughout Indonesia.

iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus were the last smartphones that Apple officially sold in Indonesia, according to local website Coconuts Jakarta.

Indonesia, an island country bordering Malaysia in southeast Asia, has an estimated population of over 260 million people.

Related Roundup: iPhone 7
Tag: Indonesia
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