Russia confirms that Apple's new iPhone 14 will be available to millions of Russians even if the Cupertino-based tech giant has already left the country.
It is worth noting that the iPhone maker suspended all of its product sales in the Russian nation in March, a week after the conflict of the latter with Ukraine has gone out of control.
However, as per the latest news by Reuters, even after Apple halted the sales of its products in Russia, various retailers continued to sell a few products from the tech giant.
Multiple Russian stores have sold the remaining stocks of its best-selling products, such as the iPhone and MacBook, even after Apple left amid the conflict.
Russia Says Apple's iPhone 14 is Available
All that said, some Apple fans in Russia, and other curious folks elsewhere in the world, are wondering whether the newly launched iPhone 14 will be sold in the country.
The Cupertino-based tech behemoth introduced the all-new iPhone 14 lineup on September 7, Wednesday, during its Far Out event. The phone maker also debuted the next-generation Apple Watch and AirPods Pro.
A day after the launch, the mobile carrier in Russia, the MTS, quickly opened the pre-orders for the all-new iPhone 14 lineup on the morning of Sept. 8.
The entry-level iPhone 14 retails for roughly $1,398 or 84,990 roubles in the largest country in the world for its lowest 128GB storage option.
But there's a catch. The Russian mobile network says that customers would have to be patient with its delivery as it could take around four months before they could get their hands on it. MTS says that the estimated delivery time is roughly 120 days.
And on top of that, the Russian carrier also told its customers that it could cancel their orders if ever they find it difficult to import the latest Apple flagship smartphone.
However, no less than Trade and Industry Minister Denis Manturov says that Russians could purchase the latest iPhone if they want to.
Reuters reports that the senior official of the Kremlin says that "if consumers want to buy these phones, yes" it would be available for the parallel import scheme. He further adds that "there will be the opportunity."
Russia Parallel Import
According to Business Insider, the government of Russia introduced the parallel imports scheme to allow Russian retailers to import products without permission from the owner of the trademark.
In the case of the iPhone, the new system would no longer require them to ask Apple about it.
That said, the new iPhone 14 lineup, which includes the iPhone 14, iPhone Plus, and the two Pro variants, is indeed available to Russian folks despite Apple's departure early this year.
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Written by Teejay Boris
