Many Indonesians are renting iPhones to boost social status, pointing to social pressure and branding over practicality.
IN Indonesia, some people are renting iPhones just to appear rich.
This phenomenon was recently highlighted in a special report video posted by CNA Insider on YouTube, titled: “Why Gen Z Indonesians Are Renting Premium Smartphones Instead Of Buying Them,” which has drawn over 100,000 views since it was published on 30 January 2026, showing that this quirky trend sparks curiosity beyond Indonesia’s borders.
Alvin (@sondesix), an Indonesian, said on X: “Many Indonesians do this because they need to improve their social status by showing off their achievements when meeting their friends.”
He added that the iPhone doesn’t have to be the newest model.
“Sometimes it doesn’t even have to be the latest iPhone. You can just use an iPhone XR, and people would think, ‘Wow, an iPhone!’”
According to him, renting one can cost as little as $5, or around 84,000 rupiah (RM20).
“A mother earning about $150 (RM590) a month was asked by her 18-year-old son to buy a six-year-old iPhone 11 for around $280 (RM1,100) instead of a more practical mid-range Android, simply because it was an iPhone,” Alvin added.
Many social media users were fascinated by this unusual trend.
@GerhanaEvran commented, “It only happens to Indonesian people with low status; middle and above don’t really care whether they’re using Apple products or not,” while @vsmvzyx added, “Renting an iPhone just to place it face down on the table is wild, but also says a lot about how powerful social pressure and branding really are here in Indonesia.”
@insignifictcman wrote, “The association of the iPhone with social status is universal. Though it is wrong to attach a person’s status to the type of mobile they have.”
Surprisingly, the craze isn’t limited to iPhones.
Noah Cat (@Cartidise), a tech content creator, was surprised when he found out that there is a service selling iPhone screenshots for $0.25, or 4,100 rupiah (RM10) each, with an extra charge for the inclusion of Dynamic Island, a small interactive area on iPhone 14 Pro and newer models that shows notifications and live updates.
This would show people—especially other Indonesians—that they’re using the latest iPhone, making them look extra ‘rich,’ just from pictures of screenshots.
“The whole point is that they want people to think they have an iPhone, I think,” he added.
@Hasvvath_27 replied, “This is wild. I would have never thought people are actually buying these. You can just sell anything in the name of Apple,” with @memekcita adding, “Not gonna lie, it’s embarrassing to screenshot using an Android.”
It doesn’t stop there; AirPods are being rented too. @QuiteTheByte said, “It’s so strange. Why on earth would you do this?”
@vsmvzyx added, “I’m Indonesian, but I just learned about this. That’s disgusting—imagine wearing someone else’s AirPods.”
@iconredesign noted that while people may have some income and cash on hand, they rarely have $249, or 4.2 million rupiah (RM278), available to spend all at once, while @ahmedsamy7161 added that an iPhone 11 64GB model costs about 5.79 million rupiah (RM1,400), roughly 300 euros.
The trend really shows how social pressure and branding can matter more than practicality, especially outside Indonesia’s big cities.
