Apple Russia Apple Rus

Apple's financial performance in Russia

Main article: Apple's financial performance in Russia

Apple courts in Russia

Main article: Apple courts in Russia

History

2025: Rospatent refused Apple to register the AirPlay trademark in Russia

Rospatent refused Apple to register a pictorial trademark of AirPlay technology in Russia. We are talking about a pictorial icon, which is a triangle with three interrupted circles above it. The decision to refuse to register this sign was made in the fall of 2024, and on May 29, 2025, the Patent Disputes Chamber upheld it after Apple tried to challenge the refusal.

According to RBC, the American corporation tried to register a visual designation for its wireless technology, but was finally refused. Apple uses several different AirPlay icons depending on the device and application context.

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Фото: Forbes

AirPlay technology was launched by Apple in 2010 to wirelessly stream audio, video and photos from the company's devices to compatible devices. Supported devices include iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple TVs, Smart TVs and wireless speakers. AirPlay also allows you to duplicate the screen of Apple devices to external displays.

In 2018, Apple introduced a second version of the technology, which received wider compatibility. Unlike the first version, the AirPlay 2 can run on TVs, speakers and other devices from various manufacturers, not just Apple products.

In Russia, AirPlay technology began to be actively distributed in 2011 after the official launch of the second generation Apple TV. Apple registered the AirPlay trademark in the country in 2014, and in April 2022, the registration period was extended until 2032. However, the previous registration concerned a rectangle image with a small triangle at the bottom.

For Apple, this is not the first patent dispute in Russia. For several years, the proceedings have continued around the patent of entrepreneur Artashes Ikonomov for a useful model of an emergency mobile phone. Ikonomov registered this patent in 2013 and through the court demanded to prohibit Apple from selling iPhones with the "Emergency Call - SOS" function^[1]

2024

The Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation will oblige Apple to allow the installation of applications from third-party stores

At the end of February 2024, it became known that the Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation was preparing a bill that would oblige Apple to allow the installation of applications on its smartphones from third-party stores, and not just from the App Store. We are talking about the adoption of norms similar to those provided for by the European law on digital markets (DMA).

The DMA document aims to improve the competitive environment and strengthen control over the largest IT corporations. The law, in particular, obliges Apple to open its platforms to third-party companies and developers. But, as noted, even with the changes in effect only in the European Union, iOS does not allow third-party applications to be installed as freely as Android.

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Фото: Pexels

The initiative of the Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation is expected to help solve the problem of removing from the App Store mobile applications of a number of Russian companies that have come under sanctions due to the current geopolitical situation. The new rules will allow iPhone owners to install "banned" programs from third-party stores. Moreover, according to the Kommersant newspaper, all owners of mobile systems, device manufacturers and store operators will fall under regulation: they will have to ensure the installation of any applications on equal terms.

Technical Director Flowwow Dmitry Shesternin believes that the proposed norms, if adopted Russia in, can simplify the work of publishers of mobile applications that have fallen under sanctions. On the other hand, notes Alexei Minaev, a teacher at the Moscow Digital School educational platform, in the Russian Federation as of February 2024 there are few mechanisms that can force Apple to comply with the changing requirements of the law.

But in general, [Apple], despite the halt in sales in the Russian Federation, continues to comply with the decisions of the courts and supervisory authorities, pays fines. So the initiative of the Ministry of Digital Development does not look unpromising, "says Minaev.[2]

Russian government agencies began to destroy Apple equipment after a ban on its use

Russian state departments began to destroy Apple equipment after the introduction of a ban on its use. One of the first such tenders in early February 2024 was held by the Perm administration. Read more here.

2023

Bank of Russia bans its employees from using Apple devices

The Bank of Russia has banned its employees from using Apple devices. The corresponding order of the Chairman of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation Nabiullina became known on December 5, 2023. Read more here.

Apple was pushed through. The company allowed purchases in Russia bypassing the App Store

In mid-October 2023, it became known that Apple allowed purchases in Russia bypassing the App Store. The company took this step under pressure from the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) of the Russian Federation. Read more here.

Government purchases of Apple equipment in the first half of the year in Russia tripled

In January-June 2023, government purchases of Apple equipment in Russia amounted to 24.2 million rubles (16 tenders), which is three times less than in the same period in 2022 (101 million rubles; 17 tenders). This is evidenced by the data of the Tenderplan search and analytical system for managing tenders, which were released in mid-September 2023.

As they write Sheets"" with reference to the study of "Tenderplan," in the third quarter of 2023, government orders for smartphones Apple tablets continue to be placed. At the same time, the volume of expenses for these devices decreases after the introduction of a ban on their use by officials and employees of Russian state corporations. During the summer of 2023, bans on the use of Apple products were introduced in subordinate organizations,, Ministry of Finance,, Ministry of Energy,, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Digital Development Ministry of Transport"," and Ministry of Industry and Trade. Federal Customs Service (FCS)Rostec Rosaviatsia RUSSIAN RAILWAY

Apple state purchases in Russia amounted to 24.2 million rubles

Access to Apple smartphones and equipment to corporate systems can be limited: the system sees from which device you entered the network. By the end of 2023, such a restriction of access will begin - this is our way, - said Mobile Research Group analyst Eldar Murtazin.

The official departments, in turn, began to switch to the operating system: the Android presidential administration is already switching to, Galaxy s23 ultra the security forces prefer the system from HarmonyOS , the Huawei expert concluded.

Russian companies and state corporations are looking for a replacement for Apple equipment among both Russian and foreign alternatives. After the ban introduced by Rostec on July 13, 2023 on the use of Apple equipment by employees for working purposes, the state corporation switched to smartphones of its own brand AYYA. The restrictions affected not only smartphones, but also tablets and laptops from Apple, the newspaper notes.^[3]

Intel and Apple stopped buying Russian metals

In early August 2023, it became known that American manufacturers of electronics and computer equipment are gradually abandoning Russian metals. This is primarily due to the current geopolitical situation. Read more here.

FCS employees banned from using Apple equipment

On July 21, 2023, it became known about the ban on the use of Apple devices by employees of the Federal Customs Service (FCS) of Russia. The decision of the department followed the statement of the FSB that the gadgets of the American corporation are used by the US authorities for surveillance. Read more here.

Employees of the Ministry of Education were banned from using Apple equipment

On July 19, 2023, it became known about the ban on the use of Apple devices by employees of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation. The decision of the department followed the statement of the FSB that the gadgets of the American corporation are used by the US authorities for surveillance. Read more here.

Refusal to supply tungsten, tantalum and gold from Russia. Officially, deliveries come from Kazakhstan

In April 2023, amid pressure from the US authorities during the conflict in Ukraine, Apple officially abandoned tungsten, tantalum and gold from the Russian Federation, South Korean Samsung continues to use Russian metals, despite refusing to supply electronics to the country.

A source close to one of the factories clarifies that Apple and Samsung metals are not supplied directly in any case - Kazakhstan has become the main official export destination.

End MacBook and iPad Warranty

Apple has stopped warranty service for MacBook and iPad in Russia. Interfax was informed about this in several service centers and the support service of the American company in early March 2023.

The decision to stop warranty service at Apple was explained by the restriction of supplies in, Russia including spare parts. The Serso service center confirmed the termination of the official warranty service for Apple equipment. At the same time, the company noted that there was no information about the complete termination of warranty service. Smartphones iPhone the suspension did not affect, added the operator of the service center.

MacBook and iPad warranty shutdown explained by supply problems to Russia

Indeed, [warranty service] has been suspended indefinitely. If something happens to you, contact the seller. iPhones are serviced, - said in the service center "Bi2ix" (B2X).

Earlier, the Fixed.one service center wrote in its Telegram channel that it had received a notice from the manufacturer to terminate warranty services for computers and tablets. Employees of service centers must now offer customers who have encountered problems to contact the store where the equipment was purchased and demand a refund. Fixed.one noted that the Apple Watch and iPhone smartphones will continue to be repaired under warranty. The company predicted the imminent closure of many authorized service centers that will have "nothing to serve."

Obviously, it will have to be done after the technical conclusion of the authorized service, but in a situation where these services have nothing to serve, they will not live for a long time on the conclusions alone, Fixed.one said.

In February 2023, Izvestia wrote that Russian authorized Apple service centers began to refuse owners to repair devices purchased abroad, even if the user came with a check. But then Apple's technical support said that the company did not have such orders.^[4]

Modification of the license agreement after the FAS fine

Apple changed the license agreement with developers after a complaint from Kaspersky Lab and a fine from the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS). The regulator announced this on February 7, 2023.

At the end of 2022, the service received information from Apple on the execution of the prescription issued by the service in 2020. The FAS Russia analyzed the information and came to the conclusion that it was properly executed in full, the department said in a statement.

Apple changed the license agreement with developers after a complaint from Kaspersky Lab and a fine from the FAS

The FAS said that Apple was obliged to exclude from the Developer License Agreement (DPLA) a provision that allows the company not to allow a developer application in the App Store, even if it meets all Apple requirements and policies. The company was also supposed to return to iOS the functionality necessary for the proper operation of third-party parental control applications.

By February 7, 2023, as indicated in the FAS, Apple adopted an additional agreement to DPLA, which excludes the application of the clause on the non-admission of applications for Russian developers. The changes are valid from October 21, 2022. In addition, in one version operating system iOS 15, Apple added Screen Time API (application programming interface) for parental control applications.

The Federal Antimonopoly Service analyzed the capabilities of the interface and concluded that using this API, developers can implement technical capabilities that were previously lost. As a result, parental control applications will be able to have extensive functionality, competing with Apple's Screen Time app built into iOS, the FAS added.

Earlier, Kaspersky Lab complained to the FAS about the unjustified, in its opinion, rejection of versions of the Kaspersky Safe Kids parental control program by Apple, as a result of which the next version of KSK lost a significant part of its functions, while Apple introduced its own Screen Time application in iOS 12, which in its capabilities coincides with parental control applications.^[5]

Kotilevsky Alexander - appointment of a new general director

At the end of January 2023, it became known about the change of the CEO of Apple Rus. He was appointed Alexander Kotilevsky. Since the end of 2017, the Russian representative office of the American manufacturer electronic engineers Apple has been headed by Vitaly Morozko. More here.

2022

Apple plans to maintain an office in Russia until 2027

The areas rented by the Russian office of Apple - Apple Rus LLC - in 2023 are planned to be reduced from 4,684.38 to 424.23 square meters. meters, according to explanations to the company's financial accounting for 2022, published in the database of the Federal Tax Service. The planned lease term is until January 2027, indicated there.

Judging by the reporting, the company has already significantly reduced the leased space in 2022: its lease payments amounted to about 35.8 million rubles, which is almost 6.4 times lower than the same indicator for 2021.

Apple plans to maintain a presence in Russia until January 2027 "(photo - EPA)"

Apple Rus revenue in 2022 decreased by 77.9% compared to 2021, to 85.37 billion rubles. The company reached a net loss of almost 6.5 billion rubles, indicated in its financial accounting.

Until March 1, 2022, the main activities of Apple Rus were: wholesale of computers and peripherals - iPhone, Mac, iPad and other products, provision of warranty repair services and the provision of marketing services.

In March 2022, the Company announced the suspension of most commercial activities in Russia, including sales through distributors and online sales in Russia. This had a significant negative impact on the financial results of the Company, - says the explanations to the financial accounting of Apple Rus.

The average annual number of employees at Apple Rus in 2022 amounted to 115 people. In 2021, the same figure was 229 people.

In 2023, Apple Rus engaged third-party organizations to provide maintenance and warranty repair services, according to the explanations to the financial accounting. In this regard, the company reassessed its warranty obligations. Part of the inventory used for repairs and on the balance sheet at the reporting date will also be sold to a third-party service provider for use in fulfilling maintenance and repair obligations.

Apple Rus expenses in connection with exchange rate differences in payment in foreign currency amounted to about 16 billion rubles, which is 3.4 times more than in 2021.

The main related legal entity with which Apple Rus makes mutual settlements is Apple Distribution International Limited, registered in Ireland, which is its main founder. Below are the types and scope of operations that the Russian office conducted with this company in 2022 and 2021.

From the explanations for the financial accounting of Apple Rus for 2022. Amounts are given in thousand rubles

As you can see, in 2022, the Russian office of Apple acquired goods from this company in the amount of 4.7 times less than a year earlier. The volume of customs duties paid by Apple Rus during the import of goods decreased by 4 times compared to 2021, to 980 million rubles.

At the same time, it is indicated in the published documents, in March 2022, Apple Distribution International Limited forgave Apple Rus a debt of about 9.9 billion rubles.

Departure from the office in the Romanov Dvor business center

In December 2022, it became known that Apple would leave the Russian office located in the Romanov Dvor business center near the Kremlin.

Export of most employees from Russia to Kyrgyzstan

At the end of September 2022, it became known about the departure of all employees of the Russian representative office of Apple abroad. Most of them moved to Kyrgyzstan, Vedomosti writes.

As a source told the publication, one of the top managers of Apple Rus is from Kyrgyzstan - this is the head of Apple for relations with government agencies Nazim Turdumambetov, who previously held a similar position at Philips. According to the interlocutor of the publication, active work on preparations for moving to Kyrgyzstan began in the spring of 2022, and by the end of summer Apple had transported personnel abroad, including to the UAE.

Apple took most employees from Russia to Kyrgyzstan

According to the newspaper, some top Apple employees were also offered a move to Dubai and London. They left Russia in the spring of 2022, when exactly, is not specified.

According to Vedomosti experts, IT companies are actively allocating their employees to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, since these countries are comfortable in terms of the spread of the Russian language and the cost of moving. It is also possible to move to Serbia and Montenegro. But European countries are not the best option by September 2022, since "Russians are not expected there," said Mikhail Burmistrov, general director of Infoline Analytics.

Google also moved employees of its representative office from Russia. According to one of the newspaper's informants, Dubai was offered to the company's staff, "but many did not want to move" because of the climate and range.

Officially, Apple did not announce its departure from the Russian market due to a special military operation of the Russian Federation in Ukraine, but imposed restrictions on the operation of a number of its services, including Apple Pay, and also suspended the sale of new gadgets. New iPhones and other devices by September 2022 are delivered to Russia using a parallel import scheme.^[6]

FAS Russia requires not to impose unfavorable conditions on application developers

FAS Russia issued an order to Apple Corporation, according to which the company must stop imposing unfavorable conditions on application developers.

Apple and Samsung continued to certify gadgets after the suspension of deliveries to Russia

At the end of May 2022, it became known that the Russian offices of Samsung and Apple continued to certify devices for their sales in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), despite the suspension of product supplies to the Russian market. Read more here.

Stopping sales of devices in Russia

Apple has completely stopped selling all of its devices through its official website. This became known on March 2, 2022. When trying to purchase any of its gadgets, the site goes to a page with the inscription "Apple Store is currently closed."

At first, users could still choose the desired device, but it was impossible to add it to the cart and pay. The site wrote that delivery was not available. At the same time, there were still links to purchase pages on the main page of the site.

Apple said the decision to stop selling is directly related to what is happening on. To Ukraine On February 24, 2022, the President Russia Vladimir Putin announced a special operation on the territory of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, which instantly resulted in a historical collapse ruble and numerous from sanctions most of the largest. countries of the world

Also, immediately after the start of the special operation in Ukraine, the Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine Mikhail Fedorov wrote a letter personally to Apple CEO Tim Cook. In it, he asked him to stop the supply and sale of Apple equipment in Russia and simultaneously close all Russians access to the App Store.

It is not yet known on the basis of what exactly Cook decided to boycott the Russian market. It is more likely that he simply obeys the decision of the American authorities, and does not comply with the request of the Ukrainian minister, since it was the United States that imposed some of the most severe sanctions against Russia. In addition, back in December 2021, US President Joseph Biden promised to limit the supply of American smartphones to Russians if Russia begins to openly conflict with Ukraine.

Apple said in a statement regarding what is happening that the company not only stopped selling on its own website, but also completely stopped shipping its equipment to its Russian distributors. This means that in the very near future its gadgets and computers will disappear from the catalogs of other stores.

On March 2, 2022, Apple services were still available in Russia, but not all. Tim Cook ordered to restrict the functioning of the Apple Pay payment system in the country, which has been operating in the country since October 2016. At 8:40 am on March 2, 2022 in Moscow, Apple did not specify exactly what the restrictions on the operation of its payment system are.

In the case of the company's services, the restrictions affected not only Russians, but also Ukrainians. So, in this country, the Apple Maps mapping service no longer shows information about traffic jams and road accidents.

Restrictions on the operation of the Apple App Store on March 2, 2022 were not introduced. Applications are still available for download, and utilities already installed on the device receive updates. Also, information spread on the Web that Apple will begin to remotely block devices already purchased by Russians has not yet been confirmed. Perhaps blocking gadgets is not at all part of her plans, since for this she may receive a lot of lawsuits Apple^[7].

Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine asks to stop Apple deliveries to Russia and block AppStore

On February 25, 2022, the Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine Fedorov asked the head of Apple to stop deliveries to Russia and block the App Store.

A government official outlined this demand in a letter addressed to Apple CEO Tim Cook. Fedorov also said that Apple should support US sanctions imposed on Russia after the invasion.

In his letter, Fedorov claims that blocking access to Apple products could encourage young people in Russia to oppose "aggression."

Opening an office in Russia

On February 4, 2022, it became known about the opening of Apple's representative office in Russia. Thus, the American company fully complied with the requirements of the law "On the activities of foreign persons in the information and telecommunication Internet in Russia, which entered into force a month earlier." Read more here.

2021: Apple agrees to pre-install Russian software on its devices

In mid-March 2021, it became known that Apple agreed with the Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation to install applications from Russian developers on the device during its first configuration.

As Vedomosti writes with reference to a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Digital Development,  from April 1, 2021, when setting up a purchased iPhone  or iPad in the Russian Federation, the device will show a list of applications from Russian developers, approved in advance by the government. The user has the right to choose which application not to install - just uncheck the box next to the name.

Apple agreed with Ministry of Digital Development on the nuances of the implementation of the legislation

At the same time Ministry of Digital Development by mid-March 2021, he is discussing with Apple the issue of creating a selection of promising Russian applications in the App Store. According to the interlocutor of the newspaper, the ministry is not interested in the fact that popular applications included in the list for mandatory presets occupy a dominant position.

If interesting users appear on the market and alternative proposals are rapidly gaining popularity, they will be included in this selection and will also be offered for pre-installation, the ministry noted to the newspaper.

According to the source of the publication, familiar with the managers of several companies - partners of electronics manufacturers, in general, the situation in which Apple follows the requirements of national regulators is not frequent, but also not precedent. So, in the UAE until 2018, the use of the FaceTime service was limited, as a result of which it was impossible to connect the service when activating the iPhone in this country.

Even before the introduction of a bill to the State Duma on the mandatory pre-installation of Russian software for electronics sold in the Russian Federation, Apple representatives at one of the meetings with the Ministry of Ministry of Digital Development warned that the introduction of such norms "will force the company to revise its business model in Russia." Intel and Microsoft also opposed the mandatory pre-installation of applications.^[8]

2019

Cooperation with the Russian MTX Connect on eSIM

On December 19, 2019, it became known about the start of cooperation between MTX Connect and Apple on eSIM technology. This is the second partner of an American corporation with Russian roots in this sector after Truphone, which sells virtual SIM cards to which several foreign phone numbers can be linked using a special application, which allows you to use local fares when traveling. Read more here.

Roskomnadzor will check Apple's compliance with the law on the storage of data of Russians

On February 1, Roskomnadzor will begin a planned check of the Russian structure of Apple for compliance with the law on the localization of personal data of Russians in Russia, the press service of the department told RIA Novosti. The check will last until February 28.

According to Roskomnadzor, Apple's Russian subsidiary Apple Rus notified at the end of December 2018 about the transfer of Russian user databases to Russia. On December 29, the department entered the company into the register of personal data operators. In the column on the location of personal data of Apple Rus users, Russia is indicated.

2018: Apple lost to Huawei in the Russian smartphone market

On September 12, 2018, the analytical company Counterpoint Technology Market Research published some results of a study of the Russian smartphone market. Judging by experts, there have been changes in the top three manufacturers - Huawei is ahead of Apple. Read more here.

2017

Apple launched a program in Russia to exchange old iPhones for new ones with a surcharge

Apple launched an indefinite trade-in program in Russia in July 2017, under which old iPhone phones can be exchanged for new ones with a surcharge. The program does not apply to Apple computers and tablets.

Apple's trade-in partners are the networks Coherent"," "" and M.Video re: Store. Coherent The "newspaper" Sheets reported that the program has already been launched: it is still possible to exchange an old phone for a new one with a surcharge in 100 retail outlets of the network. In August, this opportunity will appear in all stores "Coherent". According to a company spokesman, the program will be indefinite.

The re: Store network also began exchanging phones, but for now it is planned to continue the program only until mid-August 2017. Then it can become indefinite. M.video reported that the company is agreeing on the terms of the program with Apple.

Models from iPhone 4 and older in good condition can be exchanged for new ones. The re: Store said the discount on the new phone could be up to 30 percent.

Apple forced to repair iPhone in Russia

The Russian division of Apple has complied with the requirement of the Federal Antimonopoly Commission (FAS) to replace faulty iPhone screens. Now this service, the cost of which is twice as low as replacing the entire device, is available to Russian users, according to the FAS. The agency notes that the company responded to his prescription promptly^[9].

According to the FAS decree, Apple was supposed to provide screen repairs to Russian users by May 1, 2017. At the end of April, such a service appeared in Russian service centers. In Moscow, 19 authorized service points began to provide it. Repair is not carried out on the spot - the device is sent to a specialized enterprise.

The initial refusal of the company to repair the displays was regarded by the FAS as a violation of part 1 of article 10 of the law "On Protection of Competition," since without repairing the screen, some users could not use the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus during the entire service life.

2016

Apple Pay launch

In early October 2016, the Apple Pay payment service was launched in Russia. The Russian market made a significant contribution to the increase in the volume of transactions in the system by 500% in the first quarter of 2017 of the fiscal year compared to the same period of 2016 of the fiscal year.

Termination of cooperation with Marvel Distribution

On February 10, 2016, it became known about the termination of cooperation between the Russian company Marvel Distribution and Apple. The high demands of the IT giant to partners, a change in the model of work in the Russian Federation and a drop in sales affected.

"Apple is no longer on the list of leading vendors with whom we partner. We did not plan to hold a press conference on this matter, but since we are talking about this, I will say that after summing up the results of 2015 , it was decided to terminate Marvel Distribution's cooperation with this manufacturer, "the publication quotes CRN the general manager of the IT distributor. Konstantin Shlyakhov

According to him, Apple, which for a long time distributed its products in Russia through distributors, has established direct supplies to retail chains and the sale of goods through its own online store.

Marvel Distribution has ceased to be an Apple distributor

At the same time, the California giant presents distributors with "not only very tough, but also capital-intensive" requirements, continues Shlyakhov. Among them - 100% collateral of the credit line ( in the form of a deposit or bank guarantee), which forces the distributor to "freeze" large funds. But in the current market conditions, banks are in no hurry to lend to companies in Russia, the representative of Marvel Distribution notes.

Another reason that influenced the distributor's refusal to partner with Apple was the reduction in sales of expensive technology of the corporation in Russia against the background of a drop in the purchasing power of the population.

Konstantin Shlyakhov stressed that the distribution of Apple products does not belong to a business that allows you to get a high return on invested funds.

Our company has other areas in which we will invest, including financially, - said the general manager of Marvel Distribution.

He also added that the company does not plan to stop cooperation with some other "iconic" vendors, but clarified that "sometimes circumstances develop so much that similar, very difficult decisions have to be made."^[10]

Duties on Apple Watch

In January 2016, the^[11] known about the decision^[12] Federal Customs Service to classify the Apple Watch as a regular watch, and not electronic devices. This means that when importing an Apple Watch, they are subject to an additional duty of 10 percent. Initially, these gadgets were classified as devices for wireless reception and transmission of data and were not subject to additional duties.

Apple believes that the Apple Watch should be classified by the components used in the devices. The FCS objects that smartwatches are complex and multifunctional products, and when classifying, you need to be guided by their key function - time mapping. Immediately after the new FCS solution, the retail price of the Apple Watch increased by an average of 15%. Smartwatches showed^[13] of smartwatches from Samsung, Sony and others in a similar position.

In February 2016, Apple tried^[14] to appeal the FCS decision in the Court of Arbitration, but in May the appeal was rejected by the court. At the end of June 2016, Apple^[15], a new appeal - already against the decision of the Arbitration Court.

2015

Apple resumed payments to developers on accounts with Sberbank

On September 11, 2015, it became known that Apple resumed payments to software developers to accounts with Sberbank. The credit institution called the blocking of transfers a "misunderstanding."

Apple has returned the opportunity to pay fees to Russian developers through Sberbank, RBC reports citing the bank's press service.

Apple unlocked transfers through Sberbank

restrictions introduced earlier were a misunderstanding related to the incorrect interpretation of the legislative norms governing the sanctions regime. In particular, the sectoral sanctions imposed by the European Union and the United States in September 2014 relate to restrictions on the provision of long-term financing, "Sberbank said in a statement

The developer of iOS applications Anton Bykov wrote on his Twitter blog about receiving a letter from Apple in which the company stated that the message about restrictions for Sberbank was sent erroneously.

"Within a few working days, you will again begin to receive payments that may have been blocked," the letter says to the developers, a copy of which was provided by the developer Bykov.^[16]

The fact that Apple refused to pay fees to Sberbank accounts became known at the end of August 2015. Then the developers said that the American company, in response to an attempt to get a transfer through Sberbank, sent a letter saying that the bank was sanctioned.

In Europe and the United States, they imposed sanctions on Sberbank in September 2014. From that moment, the bank was limited access to long-term financing.^[17]

Apple stopped working with developers from Crimea and blocked their money

Main article: IT blockade of Crimea

In early 2015 Apple , it unilaterally terminated cooperation agreements with all developers of applications for iPhone and iPads located in Crimea. The company banned them from developing apps and publishing them on the App Store and demanded that all tools and materials they used be destroyed by^[18]

The corresponding notification by e-mail was received by developers from Crimea. Some of them posted a text on Twitter, including developer Yuri Tkachenko. "This letter terminates the agreement between the registered Apple developer and the company (RAD Agreement), the changes take effect immediately," the letter says.

It is further explained that Apple has the right to unilaterally cancel the agreement at any time, and that this was done in connection with the introduction of US sanctions against Crimea.

"The new sanctions against the Crimean region, announced by the US government on December 19, 2014 and the European Commission on December 18, 2014, impose a ban on the RAD Agreement between you and Apple," the letter says.

Developer Maxim Serdyuk told Interfax that he also received a letter. "I was informed that the company was terminating the contract ahead of schedule, and demanded to destroy all the data, all the technical information that I received from Apple," he said, adding that about 15 of his acquaintances received the same message.

At the same time, Apple not only deleted all published applications of Crimeans and banned the publication of new ones, but also blocked internal accounts serving to receive money from sales in the App Store. "Money in Apple accounts that had not been withdrawn before, of course, was suspended," Serdyuk said.

According to the developer, the company also blocked the accounts of content producers living in Crimea, distributing their materials through the iTunes Store (music, video, etc.). Finally, cooperation has been terminated with everyone who does not live in Crimea, but indicated Crimea as their place of residence, he added.

2014: Apple is Russia's first market leader in monetary terms

Apple according to the results of 2014, for the first time became the leader of the Russian market smartphones in monetary terms. The company took 30% of the market for this indicator with a turnover of over 67 billion rubles. In 2013, the vendor's share was 21%, GfK said "Coherent" , citing preliminary data^[19]

In Q4 2014, Apple achieved record sales in Russia. During this period, the vendor's share in monetary terms reached 36%. Prior to this, the company's share reached its maximum value in the first quarter of 2014 - 28%.

As noted in Svyaznoy, Apple helped to achieve such a result by a record interest in new products - the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus - caused by both the presentation of two fundamentally different models in terms of functionality and the early start of sales regarding the world premiere (the devices appeared on sale in September). In the IV quarter of 2014, Russian buyers rushed to buy electronics due to a sharp drop in the ruble exchange rate.

In addition, due to the preservation of the iPhone 4s on sale and a change in the pricing policy for the iPhone 5s and 5s after the presentation of new products, the brand in the IV quarter of 2014 was represented in all price segments over 10 thousand rubles, which significantly expanded the audience of buyers, analysts added.

In quantitative terms, Apple ranked second in the Russian smartphone market in 2014. The company sold 2.7 million devices over the year and about 1 million of them in the last three months of the year.

The first place in quantitative terms was taken by Samsung, but in terms of money it lost to Apple (second place).

Outstanding Apple sales results have become one of the key drivers of the smartphone market in Russia. While B-brands influenced market size in quantitative terms, Apple - on the monetary indicator. The growth of the Russian smartphone market in 2014 in monetary terms amounted to 25% compared to 2013. Excluding Apple, the growth would be only 15%.

2013: Engrob Nielsen - the new head of the representative office in the Russian Federation

In March 2013, Engrob Nielsen, who previously held the position of business development manager in Europe, became the head of Apple's Russian representative office. From 1998 to 2004, he worked for Adobe. The former head of Apple in Russia, Alexei Badaev, held this post from September 2010 to May 2012.^[20]

2013: All deliveries to Russia transferred to Apple Rus

In 2013, the corporation transferred to Apple Rus all contracts for the supply of products to counterparties in the Russian Federation.

2012: OCS Collaboration

In 2012, OCS became Apple's third distributor in Russia, joining Marvel Distribution and Dihaus^[21]

2010: Alexey Badaev - the new head of the representative office in Russia

In September 2010, Alexey Badaev was appointed the new head of Apple's representative office in Russia. The previous head of the representative office Valery Lanovenko left the company at the end of 2009, since then it has been vacant. From November 2009 to August 2010, acting Ekaterina Shabanova, head of Apple Russia, worked.

2009

ECS Group serves as a representative office in Russia

Until 2009, for many years Apple worked in Russia with only one company - Dihaus, part of the ECS Group and controlled by the owner of the Lanit group Georgy Gens. Until 2008, ECS Group performed some of the functions of Apple's local representative office under the Apple IMC Russia brand.

Marvel Distribution becomes the second distributor in Russia

In October 2009, Apple had a second distributor in Russia - St. Petersburg Marvel Distribution, a source in a major electronics manufacturer told Vedomosti and was confirmed by Marvel Distribution co-owner Sergei Girdin. According to Girdin, the company has received the status of an authorized Apple distributor for Macintosh computers and laptops and IPod players.

Now Dihaus will lose the right to authorize partners and service centers: Apple itself will do this, says a partner of both companies. "Dihaus" and "Marvel Distribution" are endowed with the status of authorized distributors, giving the right to engage in logistics and development of the partner network.

The emergence of a second distributor violates the dominance of one player in the sale of Apple equipment in Russia, says Girdin. And this will make it much more affordable for Russian citizens, he believes, promising future partners - buyers of Apple equipment discounts. Their size will depend, for example, on the quality of store design and the degree of education of sellers. Girdin does not predict how much Apple's retail equipment may become cheaper.

According to ECS Group President Yevgeny Butman, Apple has been looking for a second distributor for a long time, its main task was to expand the sales channel and increase the number of buyers. He is sure that the appearance of a competitor will not affect the business of Dihaus, because the sales channels of both companies almost do not intersect. He also does not expect a radical reduction in prices: the distributor supplies equipment to its partners, and not to the end consumer, and a decrease in the price in the channel will only increase the retailer's margin.

Prices for Apple equipment in Russia are traditionally higher than American ones. For example, the basic version of the Macbook Pro at this time costs $1,199 in the USA (about 35,000 rubles), in Russia - 45,000-50,000 rubles. Unit costs in Russia are higher than in the United States, Butman explains, they include currency and credit risks, VAT. But it is more correct to compare, according to him, with European prices: they are also higher than American prices, and Russia works with Apple's European office. Sellers' margins on Apple products are small, says a top manager at a major retailer.

2007: Opening a representative office in Russia. Head - Valery Lanovenko

In 2007, a Russian representative office of Apple was created, headed by Valery Lanovenko.

Notes