Apple’s iPhone 16 goes on sale in Russia despite ban

Elevated iPhone prices in Russian market.
Apple was fined €150 million for allegedly misusing its market power with the App Tracking Transparency tool, but no changes were required to the tool itself.

Russian retailers have started pre-sales of Apple’s iPhone 16, despite the company’s export ban after Moscow invaded Ukraine. Leading stores M.Video-Eldorado and mobile operator MTS are the first to offer the new devices, with M.Video planning deliveries next week. However, Russian consumers face significantly higher prices, paying hundreds of dollars more than U.S. customers.

Despite Apple halting product sales and services like Apple Pay in Russia in 2022, the iPhone 16 is still available through parallel imports from countries that have not enforced sanctions, such as Turkey, Kazakhstan, and China. The Kremlin has endorsed this grey market system to keep foreign goods accessible. However, prices are much higher in Russia, with the 128GB iPhone 16 starting at 112,999 roubles ($1,225) and the 1TB iPhone 16 Pro Max priced at 249,999 roubles ($2,710), significantly more than U.S. prices.

Despite sanctions, Western technology remains highly sought after in Russia. However, the Russian government has urged officials to stop using iPhones, claiming they are compromised by Western intelligence agencies, a claim Apple denied.