Some Russian retailers have started selling activated iPhones abroad, Izvestia reports, citing market sources. In March 2022, Apple announced that it would limit the operation of its services and stop selling products in Russia through the official website. Today, the company’s products are supplied to Russia through parallel imports.
Product Manager of diHouse (part of Lanit Group) Lyubov Morozova said that smartphones activated outside the Russian Federation are already on the market and such models are on store shelves. Another source confirmed that many retailers have or plan to sell unboxed iPhones.
The Izvestia newspaper reports that the reason for importing activated gadgets is that foreign partners are afraid to end cooperation with Apple. The products are bought by a distributor from Turkey, the United Arab Emirates or another country, then they import them and resell them in Russia. If the product is trackable, like the iPhone, the devices report where the device is activated from. Thus, Apple can understand who sold the smartphone to Russia and terminate the contract with this partner.
