Second-biggest Russian operator Megafon returns to the iPhone after 5 years of break, with plans to buy "at least" 750000 iPhones from Apple over the next 3 years for resale purposes.
Reuters reports the Russian operator is also committing around $28 million (1 billion rubles) on iPhone marketing, advertising and promotion over the 2013-2016 period.
Megafon stopped carrying iPhones in 2009 following a sales guarantees dispute. Vimplecom, the 3rd biggest Russian carrier, signed a similar deal back in Q3 2013.
"Based on MTS' estimates, in Q4 2013 around 650000 iPhones were sold in Russia," Raiffeisen Research tells Reuters. "If the smartphones sales' dynamics and iPhone's share of this market do not change dramatically, around 8 million iPhones could be sold in Russia during the next 3 years, and Megafon's share will be just over 9%."
According to Euroset Apple has over 20% revenue share of the $5 billion Russian smartphone market, and 9% unit sales share. Russian customers can also buy iPhones via either Apple Online Store or electronics retailers.
Go Russia's Megafon to Buy 750000 iPhones in 3 Years (Reuters)