Apple is working hard to break into the Indonesian smartphone market, announcing plans to invest roughly $44 million in a research and development (R&D) center over the next three years, according to Reuters.
The investment will let the company sell its iPhone 7 there after the Indonesian government recently announced that as of January 2017, all 4G-enabled phones sold in the country must include at least 30% local content, which can be reached via hardware, software, or an investment.
Indonesia presents a massive growth opportunity for Apple, which posted its first annual decline in revenue in 15 years during Q3 2016. The year-over-year decline is primarily due to the decelerating global smartphone market since the iPhone comprises almost two-thirds of the company’s total revenue.
Nevertheless, Apple is unlikely to find immediate success in Indonesia, much as it has in other emerging markets such as India. The smartphone market is largely controlled by Samsung, which accounted for 26% of smartphone shipments in Q2 2016, according to IDC. Meanwhile, low- to mid-tier devices from local and Asian vendors such as OPPO, ASUS, Advan, and Lenovo make up the rest of the top five vendors, by share.
Source : Business Insider
