iPhone in standby mode – Kommersant newspaper No. 170 (7371) of 09/15/2022

During the first week of pre-orders for a new line of iPhones, official sales of which were stopped in the country in the spring, Russians booked, according to a number of retailers, significantly more phones than a year ago. Distributors have no doubt that demand will be met through parallel imports, albeit at not the most attractive prices. But market participants warn that when consumers choose devices that support only eSIM virtual SIM cards, difficulties may arise: this segment in Russia is still not regulated by law.

The pre-order service for the new iPhone in the first week in Russia was used by 2.5 times more buyers than in the same period after the autumn presentation of models last year (took place on September 14, pre-orders began on September 22), Kommersant was told in MTS.

More than 70% of paid online pre-orders are for Pro and Pro Max versions, and the base iPhone 14 with 128 GB of memory turned out to be the most unclaimed.

M.Video-Eldorado confirmed that “the demand for new products is high, but it is within the expectations.” According to Citylink, five days after the opening of pre-order applications for new models from Apple, the iPhone 14 Pro Max became the most popular. The retailer notes that the number of applications for this model was 21% more than for the iPhone 14 Pro, and four times more than for the iPhone 14, the iPhone 14 Plus model was the least number of applications. In MegaFon, the number of pre-orders for new iPhone models is “comparable to the level of last year.” re:Store does not pre-order the new line.

Apple introduced a new line of devices on September 7 at its annual fall presentation: iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, as well as new Apple Watches and AirPods. All of them will not be officially delivered to Russia (see “Kommersant” dated September 7). At the presentation, it was reported that new iPhones with an eSIM virtual SIM card only will be available for buyers in the United States, and combined devices with a slot for a physical SIM card in other markets.

The MTS website says that iPhones that only support eSIM will not be sold in stores. M.Video-Eldorado will present both options, while the network clarified that the iPhone with eSIM only accounts for less than 10% of pre-orders, the rest of the customers continue to choose the combined option with a SIM card slot.

MTS, MegaFon, VimpelCom, Tele2 and virtual operators (MVNO) operating on its network have been selling virtual SIM cards in the Russian Federation since 2020 in agreement with law enforcement agencies, but the segment is not regulated by law. A source in the electronics market notes that buyers of an iPhone with only an eSIM without a separate slot for a SIM card may encounter difficulties with remote registration: “Now it is necessary for it to have a profile in a single biometric system, or have an enhanced electronic signature, or register an eSIM in operator’s cabin.

Despite the halt in official sales, in terms of money, Apple smartphones still occupy a leading position in the Russian market. According to M.Video, according to the results of the first half of the year, Apple was in first place in terms of sales of smartphones in money terms. But Realme, Vivo, Mi, Tecno, Infinix, iTel and Nokia became leaders in real terms. Sales of Poco (a sub-brand of Xiaomi) in units grew by 16% year-on-year, while Nokia increased by more than 40%.

Apple’s share decreased by 14% year-on-year, while Samsung’s share decreased by 15%.

In just six months, about 10 million mobile phones were sold in Russia.

According to a Kommersant source among electronics distributors, Russia is also not expected to lack Apple new products: “Under the parallel import model, independent suppliers will be able to bring a sufficient number of new iPhones to meet demand.” But the cost of such devices will certainly be higher than in the CIS, the EU, Turkey and other countries, the interlocutor admits. Against the background of the strongest drop in demand in other markets due to rising inflation, the source says, the European consumer, for example, will not choose the entire volume, which means that these devices can be redirected to Russia.

Timofey Kornev