Apple’s iPhone 7, arguably last year’s most hyped smartphone, is finally officially coming to Indonesia very soon (those who already own it here must’ve bought it abroad or through unofficial channels).
Indonesian telco Smartfren announced today that the iPhone 7 and its iPhone 7 Plus variant will be available for pre-order on March 24.
Coming soon! Pre-Order from 24 March 2017 #4Gterbaik https://t.co/caMhYrujN4 pic.twitter.com/EQ5MA299U5
— smartfren (@smartfrenworld) March 16, 2017
“The price and [plan] benefits haven’t been decided. So far only Smartfren has become Apple’s official telco partner for the iPhone 7 [in Indonesia],” said Ciba Gangga, head of Smartfren’s Public Relations as quoted by Detikinet today.
Apple has had problems with officially releasing their smartphones in Indonesia over the past couple of years due to the country’s policy that 4G smartphones must contain at least 30% locally made hardware. The policy was introduced in 2016.
The last Apple phone to be officially released in Indonesia was the iPhone 6, which was released in 2015, before the enforcement of the protectionist policy. It is believed that Apple has met the government’s requirement in order for the high-spec, luxurious iPhone 7 to finally be able to enter Indonesia.
Still no headphone jack, though.
Update: Kompas is reporting that the iPhone 7 will be available on March 31 at iBox and Erafone stores across the country. No information yet on the price of the smartphone and its Plus variant.
