Apple increased Russian prices for iPhones by about 25 per cent starting today because of the sharp devaluation of the ruble against the US dollar this fall.
An iPhone 6 with 16 gigabytes of storage now costs 39,990 rubles, or US$859, versus a previous price of 31,990 rubles, according to Apple’s online store in the country. Earlier this month, Apple started advertising iPhones on Russian television to promote sales during the peak season.
Until now, Apple had refrained from raising prices even as the US dollar rose by about a quarter against the ruble since September 1. As a result, the Russian price for an iPhone has been Europe's lowest at about $700, prompting tourists from other countries to buy iPhones in Moscow.
Still, downloading a Lady Gaga hit from Apple’s Russian iTunes store costs no more than it did at the start of the year. Russians are still paying 19 rubles per song, the equivalent of 41 US cents, compared with 58 US cents at the start of the year.
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