The iPhone 5S costs about $960 in Russia, while the iPhone 5C will set customers back $800. October 25, 2013 5:39 AM PDT The homepage for Apple's Russia store. (Credit: Apple) Apple's iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S might have some trouble gaining traction in Russia, a new report claims. Speaking to Bloomberg in an interview on Friday, IDC analyst Simon Baker said that "if Apple really wants to compete with Samsung [in Russia], it should've come up with a much lower price for the 5C." According to Baker, Apple is selling the iPhone 5C for $800 in Russia, while the iPhone 5S retails for about $960. Related stories Tweetbot 3 for iPhone gets redesigned and a rise in price Apple updates Podcasts, Find My iPhone apps Nokia sniffs at Apple after Apple, um, borrows iPhone movie T-Mobile CEO tweets love for Galaxy Note 3 (from iPhone) iPhone 5S helps Apple top Samsung in September Unlike in the US and many other countries around the world, Russia strictly forbids carriers from offering subsidies on smartphones. So when customers pick up a new handset, they need to pay full price. In the US, in comparison, customers can buy an iPhone 5C for $100, as long as they sign a two-year agreement with a carrier. Since Russian customers don't have that same opportunity, buying an iPhone becomes cost-prohibitive for many in the country. Apple, which has just 8 percent market share in Russia, has watched its sales in the country slow to a crawl, Baker told Bloomberg. The iPhone 4S is this year's top-selling Apple smartphone in Russia, and that device retails for approximately $500. Apple's new iPhones go on sale in Russia starting on Friday.
The iPhone 5S costs about $960 in Russia, while the iPhone 5C will set customers back $800.
The homepage for Apple's Russia store.
(Credit: Apple)
Apple's iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S might have some trouble gaining traction in Russia, a new report claims.
Speaking to Bloomberg in an interview on Friday, IDC analyst Simon Baker said that "if Apple really wants to compete with Samsung [in Russia], it should've come up with a much lower price for the 5C." According to Baker, Apple is selling the iPhone 5C for $800 in Russia, while the iPhone 5S retails for about $960.
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- iPhone 5S helps Apple top Samsung in September
Unlike in the US and many other countries around the world, Russia strictly forbids carriers from offering subsidies on smartphones. So when customers pick up a new handset, they need to pay full price. In the US, in comparison, customers can buy an iPhone 5C for $100, as long as they sign a two-year agreement with a carrier.
Since Russian customers don't have that same opportunity, buying an iPhone becomes cost-prohibitive for many in the country. Apple, which has just 8 percent market share in Russia, has watched its sales in the country slow to a crawl, Baker told Bloomberg. The iPhone 4S is this year's top-selling Apple smartphone in Russia, and that device retails for approximately $500.
Apple's new iPhones go on sale in Russia starting on Friday.
