Below is a list with tagged columns and company profiles.

Today's Headlines Smartphones

  • Indonesia Investments' Newsletter of 12 July 2015 Released

    On 12 July 2015, Indonesia Investments released the latest edition of its newsletter. This free newsletter, which is sent to our subscribers once per week, contains the most important news stories from Indonesia that have been reported on our website in the last seven days. Most of the topics involve economic subjects such updates on 2015 GDP growth, the property market, Islamic finance, the current account deficit, new listings on the Indonesia Stock Exchange, the 2016 budget deficit, investment, and more.

    Read more ›

  • Samsung Electronics Intends to Enter Indonesia’s Mobile Phones’ Market

    Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, the multinational electronics company headquartered in Suwon (South Korea), said that it plans to establish a factory in Indonesia to produce mobile phones for Indonesia’s domestic market. Samsung Electronics, subsidiary of the Samsung Group (a leading global information technology company), wants to set up the factory in West Java and production is expected to start later this year. Samsung Electronics already owns factories in China and Vietnam.

    Read more ›

  • Social Media in Indonesia: Indonesian Facebook, Line & Twitter Communities

    Line, a free social network from Japan which provides applications for instant messaging on smartphones and personal computers, had about 30 million Indonesian users at the start of August 2014 (total global users of Line stood at 490 million around the same time). Most of Line Indonesia’s revenue, approximately 60 percent, is accounted for by games, followed by stickers and official accounts (each contributing twenty percent to the company’s revenue). However, Line Indonesia refrained from mentioning absolute financial figures.

    Read more ›

  • Only Telkom Posts Good Results in Indonesia's Telecommunication Sector

    In recent years, the telecommunication sector of Indonesia has been a tough arena for mobile phone operators. In terms of voice services, the once highly prospective industry has become more and more saturated over the years. Amid fierce competition tariffs for mobile phone services have been brought down significantly, while a new group of subscribers (from the poorer segments of society) have limited spending capacity. However, with the introduction of the increasingly popular smartphone, there is still room for growth.

    Read more ›

  • Construction of New Factories Reduces Import of Mobile Phones in Indonesia

    According to Indonesia's Ministry of Industry, the import of mobile phones can be reduced by 50 percent within the next three years because of the establishment of new mobile phones factories. It is estimated that Indonesia imports 70 million cellular phones in 2013 as demand for mobile devices is high among the rapidly expanding middle class of Southeast Asia's largest economy. Due to this middle class and size of the total population (over 240 million people), Indonesia contains a lucrative market for telecommunication devices and services.

    Read more ›

  • Indonesia's Telecommunications Sector: Bakrie Telecom's Downslide

    Bakrie Telecom is one of the dozen Indonesian telecommunications operators that provide fixed digital radio cellular telecommunication network and services. The company currently has around 12 million cellular subscribers (mostly prepaid). However, both its operational and financial results are showing a worrying development. In April 2013, Fitch Ratings said that Bakrie Telecom is likely to default on its debt and needs to restructure its USD $380 million senior unsecured bonds due in May 2015.

    Read more ›

  • Erajaya Swasembada: Leading Mobile Communication Products Distributor

    Erajaya Swasembada is the market leader for the distribution of mobile communication products in Indonesia. The Erajaya Group is the official distributor for ten international brands of smartphones, tablets, and android devices. These include Nokia, Apple, Samsung, Blackberry, Acer, Dell, HTC, Motorola, Sony, LG, Huawei and Venera. The Erajaya Group has grown into a large distribution network made up of 70 distribution branches, 236 stores in 27 cities and partnerships with more than 16,000 third-party re-sellers.

    Read more ›

  • Internet Penetration in Indonesia still Low at 25% but Rising steadily

    Research institute Frost & Sullivan expects that broadband internet penetration in Indonesia (fixed and wireless) will grow to 25% at the end of 2013 and, depending on the development of the Palapa Ring, to 45% by 2018. Internet growth in Indonesia is particularly supported by the mobile broadband segment due to high demand for social media applications and mobile videos among the younger generation of Indonesians. By 2015, about 145 million Indonesians will have internet access. Currently, Indonesia's population numbers about 250 million people.

    Read more ›

Latest Columns Smartphones

  • What Do Indonesians Do with Their Smartphones on Internet?

    The number of smartphone users in Indonesia is rising rapidly in line with growing per capita GDP and widening Internet penetration across the Archipelago. Based on data from research institute eMarketer there were 69.4 million smartphone users in Indonesia at the end of 2016. Moreover, the number of Indonesian smartphone users is expected to grow to 103 million by 2018, which would make Indonesia the fourth-largest smartphone market worldwide after China, India and the United States.

    Read more ›

  • Mandatory Use of Local Components for 4G Smartphones in Indonesia

    Starting from January 2017, 4G smartphone manufacturers in Indonesia will be required to use at least 30 percent of local content in domestically-sold smartphones and at least 40 percent for base transceiver stations (BTS). Earlier this year the Indonesian government had issued a draft regulation on this subject and last week it was signed by Indonesia’s Communications and Information Minister, the Trade Minister and the Industry Minister. What is the impact of this new rule on Indonesia’s smartphone industry?

    Read more ›

  • Mobile Phone Industry Indonesia: Smartphone Penetration Still Low

    The government of Indonesia targets to see 35 million domestically-produced mobile phones (per year) starting from 2017. Meanwhile, Indonesia’s wireless network is to be upgraded to 4G speeds by the same year (a 4G network is the new necessity for those with smartphones or tablets) although currently the country’s telecommunication operators are still in the middle of building receivers to boost 3G utilization. The government hopes to see a total of USD $4.5 billion investment in the telematics sector.

    Read more ›

  • Mixed Opinions about New Smartphone Regulation of Indonesia

    The recently unveiled Indonesian regulation that forces the country’s 4G smartphone and tablet manufacturers to use at least 40 percent locally-produced components in their cell-phone devices is a source of concern for tech companies such as Apple and Samsung that are eager to expand into Indonesia where smartphone penetration is still low. Moreover, the restriction may encourage smartphone smuggling in Southeast Asia’s largest economy. The new regulation will come into effect on 1 January 2017.

    Read more ›

  • Domestic Consumption, Smartphones and Social Media in Indonesia

    The high level of consumption in Indonesia is remarkable. In fact, household consumption in Indonesia is an important engine of economic expansion in Southeast Asia’s largest economy as it accounts for about 55 percent of economic growth. One of the most popular consumption products are gadgets, in particular mobile gadgets. Just take a look in urban environments in Indonesia; everywhere people are holding, playing with, and communicating through some sort of mobile technological device.

    Read more ›

Associated businesses Smartphones