Mobile OEM manufacturers Sony and HTC followed the lead of Apple and raised the prices of their devices in Russia by 10 to 30 percent. Other manufacturers may follow suit. The main reason for the price increase is the continuous drop of the Russian ruble.
The dual-SIM Sony Xperia Z3 now costs RUB 38,990 and the Xperia Z3 Compact costs RUB 29,990. The cost of the Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact 16 GB has a price tag of RUB 25,990 and the LTE version of the tablet costs RUB 28,990.
The dual-SIM HTC One M8 can now be bought for RUB 37,990, while the HTC One Mini 2 is available for RUB 21,990.
It was previously reported that Apple shut down its online store in Russia following the plunge of the Russian ruble against the U.S. dollar. Latest reports state that Apple had put its store back up but the devices now cost more. The new 16 GB iPhone 6 shot up its price from RUB 31,990 to RUB 39,990.
With the crash of the Russian ruble, consumers rushed to malls and department stores to check out imported products as they started disappearing off the shelves. Ikea even suspended sales of kitchen furniture and appliances for several days. This is because sales will no longer be profitable for producers and suppliers of imported products.
Meanwhile, the lessened value of the ruble is actually good for the domestic economy of Russia. Homegrown manufacturers will be at an advantage as consumers will be encouraged to switch to local goods. Russian president Vladimir Putin urged Russians to do that and to patronize local products.
Although Russian companies manufacture things that people need, citizens still buy imported and branded products when it comes to consumer electronics and appliances. Thus, it is expected that people will have no choice but to purchase the products at a higher price.
