Russian iPhone 3G deal demands 1.8 million sales per year

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
A Russian newspaper has reported that the top three mobile providers in the country have reached agreements with Apple to sell at least 1.8 million iPhones per year through 2011.



On Thursday, Reuters reported hearing from market sources that Mobile TeleSystems, the largest Russian mobile provider, has signed up to begin selling the iPhone 3G "with retail sales likely to begin in October."



The wire service cited business daily paper Vedomosti in reporting that MTS has committed to selling a million iPhones over the next three years, while the second and third place Vimpelcom and MegaFon have signed orders to each sell 1.5 million units per year over the next two years.



The paper also cited a source within one of the providers as saying that the iPhone 3G would be sold for $1000 without a contract; with a contract, the provider requires a "down payment for the smartphone with an initial instalment of $200."



The iPhone has never officially been sold in the country, but Reuters noted that it has "swiftly become a status symbol in the Russian capital." Unauthorized units "are being brought into the country in suitcases or sent by courier."



In an earlier report by Vedomosti, a local analyst said that such a quantity of iPhones would be almost impossible to sell, as it would amount to 12 percent of the entire Russian market in units and capture around a third of the market in terms of money.



In April, the Washington Post reported 500,000 iPhone users in Russia, making the country the third largest concentration of iPhones after the US and China. First generation iPhones were smuggled into Russia, cracked, given unofficial Russian language support, and originally sold for $1,800 before falling to around $700.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 49
    embeeembee Posts: 18member
    And if those demands aren't met, tanks will roll into Cupertino.
  • Reply 2 of 49
    gee4orcegee4orce Posts: 165member
    I'm sure the GPS feature will prove popular, especially for working out how far into a foreign country your tanks can roam...
  • Reply 3 of 49
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Sounds like a strange deal, and pretty expensive.
  • Reply 4 of 49
    boogabooga Posts: 1,082member
    In the iPhone 2.0 software, Russian is already one of the supported languages. I localized ChessClock to it just because I thought Russian-speaking chess players in other countries may appreciate it. But there's no hacking required to get Russian support. Maybe this was required in 1.x?
  • Reply 5 of 49
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by embee View Post


    And if those demands aren't met, tanks will roll into Cupertino.



    LOL, BUT ... I'm sure all my friends in the former Russian (USSR) satellite states won't find that too funny though given the horrible mess in Georgia at the moment. Maybe the Pentagon will see this as a wonderful opportunity and get Apple to add spy chips?
  • Reply 6 of 49
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by melgross View Post


    Sounds like a strange deal, and pretty expensive.



    In Soviet Russia, iPhone buys you!
  • Reply 7 of 49
    embeeembee Posts: 18member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by digitalclips View Post


    LOL, BUT ... I'm sure all my friends in the former Russian (USSR) satellite states won't find that too funny though given the horrible mess in Georgia at the moment. Maybe the Pentagon will see this as a wonderful opportunity and get Apple to add spy chips?



    Yep, that's exactly what I meant. I like the spy chips idea.



    Perhaps we'll be hearing about a new addition to Apple's RED product lineup?
  • Reply 8 of 49
    ivladivlad Posts: 742member
    you just can't go without making funny statements about Russia, can't you.
  • Reply 9 of 49
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by iVlad View Post


    you just can't go without making funny statements about Russia, can't you.



    Let's face its, Russia is a joke. Corrupt from the president down. They're more totalitarian today than under Lenin.
  • Reply 10 of 49
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by merdhead View Post


    Let's face its, Russia is a joke. Corrupt from the president down. They're more totalitarian today than under Lenin.



    Maybe so but at least they aren't sending out little kids as if they are adults
  • Reply 11 of 49
    rot'napplerot'napple Posts: 1,839member
    Subject Title: Russian iPhone 3G deal DEMANDS 1.8 million sales per year



    I wonder if I were to buy an iPhone at an Apple store if I could demand from Apple - obtaining, retaining, and utilization of that 3G reception 90% of the time each time I use the 3G iPhone throughout the year if they want my sale!
  • Reply 12 of 49
    embeeembee Posts: 18member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Rot'nApple View Post


    Subject Title: Russian iPhone 3G deal DEMANDS 1.8 million sales per year



    I wonder if I were to buy an iPhone at an Apple store if I could demand from Apple - obtaining, retaining, and utilization of that 3G reception 90% of the time each time I use the 3G iPhone throughout the year if they want my sale!



    I just KNEW somebody would drag this polite, non-political thread into the gutter.
  • Reply 13 of 49
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by merdhead View Post


    Let's face its, Russia is a joke. Corrupt from the president down. They're more totalitarian today than under Lenin.



    Ouch that was harsh! Of course we have such a corruption free system and wonderful President here in USA so we can of course judge others ...



    One day my friends may we all hold hands and sing Kumbaya, one day \
  • Reply 14 of 49
    Welcome to AppleInsider!
  • Reply 15 of 49
    Russia: Less than half the population of the U.S. and with a third of the per-capita GDP. They can't buy so many iPhones.
  • Reply 16 of 49
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Magic_Al View Post


    Russia: Less than half the population of the U.S. and with a third of the per-capita GDP. They can't buy so many iPhones.



    But look at all the places with NATO and US trade embargoes they can re-export them to!
  • Reply 17 of 49
    Never mind...
  • Reply 18 of 49
    nasdarqnasdarq Posts: 137member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by merdhead View Post


    Let's face its, Russia is a joke. Corrupt from the president down. They're more totalitarian today than under Lenin.



    Already in 1880s Nietzsche predicted that a terrible (or beautiful ...) will to power was coming from Russia. Little did he suspect that a few decades later an uneducated army of the biggest thiefs and degenerates would create some of the most powerful and longest lasting regimes history has known. Since then, this country has been the paragon of vigorous and complete elimination of everything that was noble about itself or its society.



    On the other hand, would the modern/western art (Kandinsky), music (Stravinsky), literature (Bulgakov) and philosophical thought (Dostoyevsky) have existed - in the way we know it today - without the inspiring sufferings of this most dark, detsructive and tallented of nations; the sufferings that culminated (but neither started nor ended ...) with the slave insurrection on 25 October 1917.



    I thereby pay my respect - in the way Nietzsche would have paid it, no doubt - to this mysterious country and its people.
  • Reply 19 of 49
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by nasdarq View Post


    Already in 1880s Nietzsche predicted that a terrible (or beautiful ...) will to power was coming from Russia. Little did he suspect that a few decades later an uneducated army of the biggest thiefs and degenerates would create some of the most powerful and longest lasting regimes history has known. Since then, this country has been the paragon of vigorous and complete elimination of everything that was noble about itself or its society.



    On the other hand, would the modern/western art (Kandinsky), music (Stravinsky), literature (Bulgakov) and philosophical thought (Dostoyevsky) have existed - in the way we know it today - without the inspiring sufferings of this most dark, detsructive and tallented of nations; the sufferings that culminated (but neither started nor ended ...) with the slave insurrection on 25 October 1917.



    I thereby pay my respect - in the way Nietzsche would have paid it, no doubt - to this mysterious country and its people.



    ... and continuing this deep and well researched post, don't forget they have some great looking ladies too

    p.s. I Hereby or Therefore pay my respects' would read better I think.
  • Reply 20 of 49
    nasdarqnasdarq Posts: 137member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by digitalclips View Post


    ... and continuing this deep and well researched post, don't forget they have some great looking ladies too



    LOL - how could I have forgotten that most precious of assets that Russia no doubt still possesses ...
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