Sales Of IPhones Among Russian Officials Increase Fourfold Despite Being Banned

Sales of iPhones among Russian officials increased despite the ban. (photo: x @ANALYSIS_GIRL)

JAKARTA - Sales of iPhones among Russian officials are reported to have quadrupled despite the official ban imposed by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB).

The ban, imposed in 2023, is based on concerns that the United States is using the iPhone for wiretapping activities.

However, according to a report from the Vedomosti business daily, iPhone purchases between January and September 2024 actually jumped significantly compared to the same period in 2023.

Total iPhone purchases among Russian officials reached around US$71,470 (Rp1.1 billion) in 2024, much higher than the US$17,670 (Rp273.4 million) in the previous year.

The iPhone price in Russia itself is more expensive than in the United States, with the basic price of the iPhone 16 reaching around US$1,225 (Rp19 million). Although this increase in sales looks significant, the number of iPhones ordered by the government is estimated to be only around 60 units, suggesting that the ban is not fully enforced.

The increase also reinforces the allegation that the reasons for the ban on wiretapping may not be a major factor, but rather a retaliatory against Apple's decision to stop its operations directly in Russia since the start of the war with Ukraine.