Russian retailers begin pre-sales of iPhone 16 despite Apple ban

Despite an export ban, Russian retailers have begun pre-selling Apple's latest iPhone 16, offering consumers the chance to purchase the device at significantly higher prices than in the United States.

Apple has suspended sales of its products in Russia, which has been in place since March 2022 in response to the Ukraine-Russia conflict. In addition to halting all product sales in Russia, Apple has also restricted services like ApplePay last year, as Western sanctions aimed to limit technology exports to Russia.

Russian electronics retailer M.Video-Eldorado and mobile network provider MTS announced on Thursday that they were among the first to offer pre-orders for the iPhone 16. M.Video expects deliveries to start as early as next week, while MTS stated that physical sales would begin shortly.

Russian buyers, however, will have to pay a steep premium for the devices. The 128GB iPhone 16 is priced at 112,999 roubles ($1,225), more than $400 above the U.S. price of $799. Meanwhile, the 1TB iPhone Pro Max, which costs $1,599 in the U.S., is listed for pre-order in Russia at 249,999 roubles ($2,710).

Retailers have relied on parallel imports, a grey market system that allows goods from brands that have withdrawn from Russia to continue reaching the market. Countries such as Turkey, Kazakhstan, China, India, and the UAE, which have not imposed sanctions on Russia, are common intermediaries. However, it remains unclear which specific route the new iPhones are taking to enter Russia.

The parallel import scheme is supported by the Russian government, helping to maintain the availability of Western goods despite corporate exits. The ongoing demand for Western technology in Russia presents a contradiction, as Moscow simultaneously encourages domestic production and has urged officials to stop using iPhones, claiming they have been compromised by Western intelligence.

Apple has denied these accusations.

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