Russian retailers started pre-selling Apple’s iPhone 16, circumventing an export ban and allowing customers to pre-order it, according to Reuters.
Russia’s leading electronics retailer M.Video-Eldorado Group and mobile operator MTS announced on Thursday that they would be the first to introduce the new iPhone in Russia. However, pre-orders will cost buyers hundreds of dollars more than in the United States.
M.Video reported that shipments would begin next week, whereas MTS expected sales to start in the “very near future.”
Apple suspended sales of its products in Russia in March 2022 and discontinued services such as ApplePay. The move was a response to the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.
Foreign brands that stopped direct exports to Russia now reached consumers through countries which did not impose sanctions against Moscow. Those include Turkey, Kazakhstan, China, India, and the United Arab Emirates.
M.Video said prices for the iPhone 16 with 128GB of memory would start at 112,999 rubles ($1,225), about $400 more expensive than the US price of $799. Meanwhile, the iPhone Pro Max with 1TB of storage is available for pre-order in Russia for 249,999 rubles ($2,710), compared to $1,599 in the US.
MTS prices were slightly higher, with the pre-order requiring an advance payment of 25,000 rubles.
