Despite rumors about the inability of Russian retailers to compensate for the demand for iPhone in Russiawhich in turn should have provoked a serious shortage of Apple smartphones in the local market, in reality, everything turned out to be not quite so. Not only did the iPhones themselves not disappear from sale, but for some reason they also began to get cheaper. Moreover, it is very, very noticeable: for some models, prices have fallen by several tens of thousands of rubles, which is completely unexpected for the current conditions. But the more interesting it will be to figure out what happened after all.
Oddly enough, but iPhone prices in Russia it was not the sulfur locomotives, which already had nowhere to reduce them, that were reduced, but large retail chains like Svyaznoy, M.Video, Eldorado and others. However, discounts are observed mainly in the flagship line of the current generation. The more expensive the model, the greater the discount. So for buyers of the base iPhone 13, the discount will not be very significant, but for those who dare buy iPhone 13 Pro Maxwaiting for the price, reduced by 50-60 thousand rubles compared to the beginning of August.
Here’s how it’s changed iPhone prices from the beginning of the month:
- iPhone 13 128 GB: it was – 89,990 rubles, it became – 83,990 rubles;
- iPhone 13 256 GB: it was – 102,990 rubles, it became – 90,990 rubles;
- iPhone 13 Pro 128 GB: it was – 122,990 rubles, it became – 108,990 rubles;
- iPhone 13 Pro 256 GB: it was – 139,990 rubles, it became – 114,990 rubles;
- iPhone 13 Pro Max 128 GB: it was – 139,990 rubles, it became – 110,990 rubles;
- iPhone 13 Pro Max 256 GB: it was – 159,990 rubles, it became – 119,990 rubles.
By itself, prices for gray iphones will be even lower. But keep in mind that most of them cannot pay for the goods with a card (only cash is accepted, either to avoid taxes, or to avoid acquiring commissions, or both at once), not to mention taking the goods in installments. And large retailers have such an opportunity.
For example, in Svyaznoy you can be given installment plan for iphone for 10 months, and in M.Video – as much as 24. Thus, it will be possible either to split the purchase amount into 2 years, which is quite a lot, or to cover the debt immediately and get a discount of 10-15%, depending on the conditions of the bank. Yes, this does not compensate for the difference between prices in official and gray retail. However, for many it is simply easier to buy in a large retail chain than in a semi-basement stall, which may close tomorrow.
One of the reasons for the decline in prices for the iPhone in official retail may be that Russian retailers have nevertheless established parallel imports. The dollar has not fallen much in recent weeks, and Apple has not lifted supply restrictions. Therefore, it is highly likely that we are seeing a major market mechanism at work that adjusts prices as supply increases.
In fact, in order to establish parallel imports, Russian retailers did not even have to increase the number of countries where foreign equipment is imported from. For the most part, they remain the same:
- USA
- Japan
- Canada
- European Union
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Armenia
- Saudi Arabia
- UAE
From time to time, however, other regions come across. In some places, iPhones from Belgium, Austria and even from the Netherlands have been spotted. But, most likely, their share is so low that it can be neglected. And the main reason why prices began to decline is the general improvement in the rhythm of parallel deliveries. It lies in the fact that retailers are simply used to it, they have ceased to be afraid of possible problems with customs and the prospect of a sharp increase in the exchange rate.
However, most retailers avoid talking about where they source iPhones for their inventory. The only official who is not afraid to do this is Svyaznoy. The product cards on the website of the distribution network almost always indicate the letter designations of the countries where a particular iPhone was brought from. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and other CIS countries are usually absent there.
But rather, this is because they are part of the Eurasian Economic Union, and therefore, according to customs legislation, they can be considered Russian. Such devices are certified by the PCT and are serviced in authorized service centers on general terms, unlike devices from non-CIS countries, for which the seller personally bears warranty obligations.
However, we must not forget that in less than 2 weeks Apple will introduce the iPhone 14, and selling the iPhone 13 at March prices is completely unjustified. Nobody just buys it. Therefore, retailers, at the cost of their own revenue, probably began to merge last year’s flagships to make room for new products. But since retail chains cannot give up much of their money, the tangible reduction in price affected only the most expensive iPhone models.
