Russian users’ pre-order demand for the new iPhone is 15% higher in comparison with the previous model, while the device is 50% more expensive in Russia than in Western countries, a Russian reseller said according to Reuters on Friday.
iPhone Parallel Imports in Response to Sanctions:
After the Western sanctions and export bans that Russia faced in 2022 in connection with the war in Ukraine, the country legalized the so-called “grey” or “parallel” imports. This change means that goods like iPhones can freely enter the country without the sanction of the brands in question. Companies like Apple, which stopped shipping its products to Russia, have their products in the country in one way or another.
Lyudmila Semushina, a spokesperson for electronics retailer Restore: The executive said that iPhones Restore, expected to be released this month in Russia, have been sourced from ‘all over’ but did not name specific countries. Some countries that did not recognize Russia’s action include Turkey, China, India, Kazakhstan, and other former Soviet state nations, among which have recorded rising trading partners with Moscow since the conflict was initiated.
Increased Demand Despite Higher Prices:
Semushina suggested that the sales demand for the new iPhone 16 model has increased by 15 percent compared to the pre-order of the iPhone 15 this year. Still, Russians must pay around 15,000 US dollars more for the new model.
Another electronics retail store, M. Video, went further and announced that prices for the 128GB iPhone 16 would be set at 112,999 roubles ($1,225), or over $400 more than the $799 in the United States, whereas the 1TB iPhone Pro Max can be pre-ordered for 249 999 roubles ($2,710) as compared to $1,599 in the U.S.
Uncertainty in iPhone Pricing Due to Parallel Imports:
As already mentioned, since the change to parallel imports, the gap between the official and grey market prices has emerged. Semushina said, “There is an official retailer’s price; there are prices of grey sellers; those who bring hardware in suitcases are, so prices may vary.” She stated that her company no longer calculates the Premium that Russian consumers pay for Apple products because of this variability.
Since the conflict, Apple has said nothing about its sales or pricing strategy in Russia; it has also stopped some services, such as ApplePay, and will cease all product sales in Russia starting March 2022.
