The strong demand for Apple smartphones is a sign that the interest of consumers in popular products has not yet weakened due to a broader economic slowdown in Russia. This country has noted the highest interest rates this year for 20 years and a budget deficit of over 4 trillion of rubles.
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The popularity of iPhones in Russia survived the suspension of sales by Apple in 2022 and suspension of services such as Apple Pay following Western sanctions for the invasion of Ukraine. In Russia, telephones also have higher prices than in Western markets.
“This year we have 66 percent more pre -orders than last year,” said Lyudmila Semushina, PR director at Inventive Retail Group, which is the owner of the Restore online store.
“There is a huge base of fans who will never replace the iPhone for anything else,” Semushina said.
New iPhone 17 more expensive than in the USA. Russians buy despite the crisis
This week, the American technological giant has introduced the range of iPhone 17 around the world, introducing a new design, updated cameras and a new Air model.
“It is worth thinking about changing my current phone to the iPhone Air. This is an important update,” said Oleg Kocketkov's client. He also added that the Russians are increasingly using iPhones for guy after the government limited WhatsApp and Telegram connections.
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The new Apple products displayed in the largest Russian retailers on Saturday were only for browsing, and customers could place orders for pre -sale for delivery in the coming days.
The price of the basic iPhone 17 with a capacity of 256 GB is 119 990 rubles (approx. 5230 PLN), or about 57 percent. more than the retail price in the USA and 29 percent more than in Great Britain.
Apple was a leading brand of smartphones in terms of sales revenues in Russia in 2024, although Chinese Xiaomi was a leader of unit sales.
