iPhone 16 Russian retailers have initiated pre-sales for Apple’s latest iPhone, finding a way around the company’s export ban to the country. This move allows consumers to pre-order devices that are priced several hundred dollars higher than in the United States.
Leading the charge are M.Video-Eldorado, a prominent electronics retailer, and MTS, a major mobile network operator. Both companies announced on Thursday that they are the first in Russia to reveal the new iPhone 16.
M.Video has stated that deliveries of the phones will commence next week, while MTS anticipates that physical sales will begin shortly thereafter.
In March 2022, Apple halted all product sales in Russia and stopped services like ApplePay in response to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. This decision was part of broader Western sanctions aimed at limiting technology exports to Russia.
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Despite these restrictions, Russian consumers will now have to pay significantly more for the iPhone 16 compared to their U.S. counterparts.
To reach Russian consumers, foreign brands that ceased exports have turned to alternative routes through countries that have not imposed sanctions on Russia, including Turkey, Kazakhstan, China, India, and the United Arab Emirates.
Reuters has not been able to confirm the specific routes that the new iPhones will take into Russia.
The situation illustrates how companies face challenges in managing their supply chains when attempting to exit a market. The parallel import scheme, which the Russian government supports, ensures that goods from brands that have left remain accessible.
M.Video has indicated that the starting prices for the new iPhone will be significantly higher than those in the United States, reflecting the complexities of the current market dynamics.
