Expert: Russians spend 2 bln rbl on iPhone 7, 7 Plus on Sep 24–25

MOSCOW, Sep 26 (PRIME) -- Russians spent over 2 billion rubles on new iPhone 7 and 7 Plus smartphones, which were released for sale on September 23, during the first weekend of the offer, Hi-Tech Mail.Ru, a special news project of Internet giant Mail.Ru Group, said Monday.

“According to Hi-Tech Mail.Ru’s data, sales of Apple’s smartphones in Russia exceeded 2 billion rubles for the first weekend. It’s much higher than last year. There are several factors to point out: Russians got used to new price reality; models have more modifications; the Russian start of sales was in the second wave for the first time; huge changes in gray retail; delays with the rival, Samsung Galaxy Note 7,” Hi-Tech Mail.Ru’s head Dmitry Ryabinin said.

“We expect a dramatic increase in Apple’s share in money on the Russian market of smartphones; it will overpass 30% by the end of the year.”

Demand was higher for more expensive models, the iPhone 7 Plus, while in 2016 people preferred less expensive devices.

On the first day of world sales, September 16, only some 100 Apple’s new devices were unofficially imported into the country, and the number exceeded 1,000 units on September 17–18.

Before the launch of sales on the Russian market, retailers had received 20,000 pre-orders for the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, and 10,000 devices were sold on September 23.

The price of the iPhone 7 starts from 56,990 rubles and of the iPhone 7 Plus from 67,990 rubles.

(63.8642 rubles – U.S. $1)

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