MOSCOW, Sept 19 (Askume) – Russian retailers have begun pre-ordering Apple’s latest iPhones , giving consumers a chance to bypass the company’s export ban to Russia and buy the devices at prices hundreds of dollars more expensive than in the United States.
Russia’s leading electronics retailer M.Video-Eldorado (MVID.MM) and mobile network operator MTS (MTSS.MM) both claimed on Thursday that they would be the first to launch Apple’s new iPhone 16 in Russia.
M.Video says the phone will begin shipping next week. MTS said it expects physical sales to begin soon.
Apple will stop selling all products in Russia in March 2022 and shut down services such as Apple Pay in response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, while Western countries have tried to restrict technology exports to Russia.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside US business hours.
Russians will have to pay hundreds of dollars more for the iPhone 16 than American consumers.
Foreign brands that at one point stopped exporting to Russia now often turn to countries that have not imposed sanctions on Russia, such as Turkey, Kazakhstan, China, India and the United Arab Emirates, to attract consumers.
Askume was unable to determine which route the new iPhones would take to enter the country.
The Russian government’s parallel or grey import program for brands that have moved out of Russia since the invasion provides goods for companies wishing to leave Russia and shows that companies can handle supply chain challenges as they exit the market.
M.Video says the 128GB iPhone 16 will start at 112,999 rubles ($1,225), which is $400 more than the US price of $799. The 1TB iPhone Pro Max is available for pre-order in Russia for 249,999 rubles ($2,710), while it costs $1,599 in the United States.
MTS prices are slightly higher than M.Video and say that a deposit of 25,000 rubles is required for pre-order.
Western goods and technology remain popular in Russia, and Moscow seeks to mitigate this potential weakness through domestic production.
The Kremlin has called on officials to stop using iPhones, saying Western intelligence agencies have compromised them using surveillance software. Apple has denied these claims.
(1 USD = 92.2500 rubles)
