iPhone prices in Russia surge again as sanctions continue to squeeze economy

Apple Iphone Ipad Availability Beijing Iphone 13 Pro Close Up
Apple Iphone Ipad Availability Beijing Iphone 13 Pro Close Up (Image credit: Apple)

What you need to know

  • The cost of Apple products continues to rise in Russia.
  • The iPhone 13 Pro Max 1TB now costs 263,990
  • That is up from 239,990 just a few days ago.

Prices of Apple products at premium resellers continue to surge in Russia as economic sanctions continue to strangle the country's economy

Research conducted by iMore indicates that Apple's best iPhone the iPhone 13 Pro Max 1TB is currently available to pre-order at the price of 263,990 rubles at premium reseller re:Store, up sharply from a March 3 Price of 239,990. The current price is around $2,345 US. As we've previously reported, prices in the country skyrocketed in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine, with resellers reopening with prices up some 50% on their original cost. From March 3:

According to iMore research, the iPhone 13 Pro Max 128GB was listed for pre-order on February 9 at a pre-order price of 109,990 rubles. This is roughly $940 at the current exchange rate, however, at the time of listing according to historical exchange data, this would have been around $1,470. The same model listed as of March 3 is now priced at 149,990 rubles, about $1,277 at the current exchange rate but $2,005 at the previous rate.

Similarly, the aforementioned 128GB iPhone 13 Pro Max, previously listed at 109,990 and later 149,990, is now priced at 189,990.

Apple itself has stopped selling products in the country in response to the invasion, a move that has prompted calls from the Kremlin to begin seizing assets and freezing the accounts of Western countries responding in this manner. Businesses are reportedly under threat from external management or even nationalization in the country.

From Saturday:

Vladimir Putin reportedly told government officials on Thursday that Russia was considering plans to introduce "external management" to companies that had stopped operating in the country as a result of its invasion of Ukraine. That would include Apple, as well as companies like Microsoft, IBM, McDonald's, IKEA, and more. Putin reportedly said, "We need to act decisively with those [companies] who are going to close their production... it is necessary, then ... to introduce external management and then transfer these enterprises to those who want to work."

Stephen Warwick
News Editor

Stephen Warwick has written about Apple for five years at iMore and previously elsewhere. He covers all of iMore's latest breaking news regarding all of Apple's products and services, both hardware and software. Stephen has interviewed industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. He also specializes in curating and reviewing audio hardware and has experience beyond journalism in sound engineering, production, and design.

Before becoming a writer Stephen studied Ancient History at University and also worked at Apple for more than two years. Stephen is also a host on the iMore show, a weekly podcast recorded live that discusses the latest in breaking Apple news, as well as featuring fun trivia about all things Apple. Follow him on Twitter @stephenwarwick9