Pre-order demand in Russia for the new iPhone is 15% higher than for its predecessor, one reseller told Reuters on Friday, even though it is at least 50% more expensive than in the West.Russia legalised so-called “grey” or “parallel” imports to allow goods to enter the country without the brands’ permission after Western companies such as iPhone maker Apple (AAPL.O), opens new tab imposed export bans in 2022 in response to the war in Ukraine.
Russians Unfazed By Higher Prices As IPhone Pre-Order Demand Soars
Lyudmila Semushina, a spokesperson for electronics retailer restore:, said the iPhones going on sale this month had arrived in Russia from “all over”, without naming specific countries.Countries that have not imposed sanctions against Moscow, such as Turkey, China, India, Kazakhstan and other former Soviet states, have seen sharp increases in trade with Russia since the conflict began.”Comparing with last year’s pre-order, (demand) is 15% higher than pre-orders were for the iPhone 15,” Semushina said.
When big brands left Russia and the switch was made to parallel imports, Semushina said her company stopped making official calculations on the premium Russian consumers pay.”There is an official retailer’s price, there are prices of grey sellers – those who bring their hardware in suitcases – so prices may vary,” she said.She said the company had not had any contact with Apple since the conflict began. Apart from suspending all product sales in Russia in March 2022, the tech giant has also halted services like ApplePay.