Russia’s Trade and Industry Minister says that Apple’s latest flagship iPhones will be available to buy in the country thanks to its parallel imports scheme.
As reported by Reuters (opens in new tab)Trade and Industry Minister Denis Manturov was asked on Wednesday whether Apple’s new best iPhones, the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro would be available in the country.
Apple withdrew from Russia earlier this year as a multitude of companies and corporations pulled out in protest over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Parallel imports
According to today’s report, Manturov replied “Why not? If consumers want to buy these phones, yes. There will be the opportunity,” when asked about the prospect of Russian residents being able to buy the new devices.
As the report notes the parallel imports scheme allows retailers to import products like the iPhone from abroad without Apple’s permission. On March 1 Apple stopped selling products in the country.
Apple’s new iPhone 14 retains the same design as the iPhone 13 but offers users new colors, upgraded cameras, and a new iPhone 14 Plus size.
The iPhone 14 Pro is a much more significant upgrade with a massive new 48MP camera, all-new Dynamic Island instead of a notch, and new colors including purple.
Apple also unveiled its new Apple Watch SE, Apple Watch Series 8, and Apple Watch Ultra, as well as its new AirPods Pro.
The iPhone 14 is reportedly already on sale in Russia for around $1,400. While Apple has not changed the price of the iPhone 14 compared to last year in the U.S., many countries around the world including the UK, nations in Europe, Japan, and more have seen price hikes because of economic pressures and fluctuating exchange rates.
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