iPhone 16 ban strengthens Samsung’s market position among Indonesians

In October, Indonesia imposed a ban on the iPhone 16 due to violations of local investment rules. This move has significantly impacted Apple’s brand health in the market, according to the latest data from YouGov BrandIndex, which tracks consumer perceptions of thousands of brands on a daily basis.

Since the ban was first announced in late October, Apple’s Buzz score—which measures whether consumers have heard positive or negative things about a brand in the past two weeks—has dropped by 13.9 points, from 50.6 to 36.7 (between October 27 and November 18), and by 19.6 between the global launch on September 20 and late November.

Consideration, which gauges consumers' likelihood to purchase from a brand, also saw a decline of 2.6 points between October and November, falling from 42.3 to 39.7.

Meanwhile, Samsung appears to be benefiting from the disruption. YouGov BrandIndex shows a slight increase in both Samsung’s Buzz (+3.5) and Consideration (+3.6) during this period.

An additional YouGov survey revealed that 68% of Indonesians would consider purchasing a Samsung phone if they were unable to buy the iPhone 16. Xiaomi and OPPO followed as the next best options, with 23% and 22% of Indonesians, respectively, expressing interest in these brands.

Gen Z were more likely to choose Samsung (74%) over other brands, while millennials favored Xiaomi (28%) and OPPO (25%) more than Gen Z.

Overall, nearly half of Indonesians (49%) are considering buying a Samsung phone within the next year. In comparison, 30% are contemplating an Apple purchase, while 20% are considering Xiaomi. Among those interested in Apple, a quarter are looking to buy the iPhone 16 within the year—though the recent ban may affect those plans.

Despite widespread awareness of the ban, only 40% of Indonesians are closely following the news. A significant portion of iPhone 16 considerers are still making plans, with 17% saying they’ll wait for the ban to be lifted, 14% intending to purchase the phone overseas, and 18% opting to switch to a different iPhone model. Notably, 29% of potential iPhone 16 buyers say they’ll consider switching to an android phone instead.

The data shows that Indonesians remain divided in their perception of Apple following the ban. 26% say the iPhone 16 ban has improved their view of Apple, while 25% believe it has worsened their perception of the brand.

Edward Hutasoit, General Manager, YouGov Indonesia said, "As Apple’s presence in Indonesia faces new hurdles, our data shows the changing consumer sentiment within the smartphone market. YouGov BrandIndex provides brands with actionable insights to respond swiftly. By tracking real-time data on brand buzz, consumer consideration, and overall perception, marketers can monitor crises, evaluate campaign performance, and fine-tune their marketing strategies to seize emerging opportunities."

To know more about YouGov BrandIndex click here.

Methodology: YouGov BrandIndex collects data on thousands of brands every day. Buzz scores are based on the following question: “Over the past two weeks, which of the following mobile device brands have you heard something Positive/Negative about (whether in the news, through advertising, or talking to friends and family)?" (Net score). Consideration scores are based on the following question: "When you are next in the market to purchase a mobile device, which of the following brands would you consider purchasing?" (% yes). Index is a measure of overall brand health calculated as an average of Impression, Quality, Value, Satisfaction, Recommend and Reputation scores. Learn more about BrandIndex.

YouGov Surveys: Serviced provides quick survey results from nationally representative or targeted audiences in multiple markets. This study was conducted online in November 2024, with a sample of 2,065 adults in Indonesia (aged 18+ years), using a questionnaire designed by YouGov. Data figures have been weighted by gender, age, socioeconomic class, city tier to be representative of the adult Indonesian online population (18 years or older) and reflect the latest Indonesian Bureau of Statistics (BPS) population estimates. Learn more about YouGov Surveys: Serviced.