Vimpelcom and MegaFon – two of Russia’s three largest wireless carriers – will offer Apple Inc.’s iPhone “later this year,” according to company statements in recent days.
Together, the two carriers serve about 80 million Russians, according to news reports.
Russia has about 140 million people with some 150 million cellular subscribers, according to the CIA World Factbook. That’s more than 100% wireless penetration in a country with less than half the population of the United States, but nearly twice the physical size.
According to the Associated Press, unlocked gray market iPhones are readily available in Russia for about $1,000 and an estimated half million are already in use. So, the two carriers’ official pricing will be closely watched to see if it is likely to expand the number of iPhone users in Russia.
Russian subscribers typically buy their handsets separately from their service providers, according to the AP, so observers also are watching to see whether the two carriers offer an attractive subsidy to create demand.
MTS, another of the country’s three largest carriers, has not yet made an iPhone-related announcement.
Two Russian carriers to offer iPhone
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