07:15 AM EDT, 09/19/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Russian retailers have skirted Apple's ( AAPL ) export bans on the country, launching pre-orders of the latest iPhone for more expensive prices than in the US, media outlets reported Thursday.

Both electronics retailer M.Video-Eldorado and mobile network operator MTS claimed that they were the first in Russia to launch Apple's ( AAPL ) iPhone 16, reports said. M.Video said phone deliveries would begin next week, while MTS expects sales to begin "very soon," according to reports.

M.Video's prices would start at 112,999 rubles ($1,219) for the 128GB iPhone 16 and MTS would charge "marginally higher" alongside a 25,000-rouble deposit for pre-orders, reports said. The same device sells lower for $799 in the US.

Online Russian retailer Wildberries have also began selling the iPhone 16 with the first deliveries scheduled for Saturday, local news agency RIA Novosti reported. Prices of new smartphones at Wildberries start at 267,000 rubles, the report said.

Apple ( AAPL ) did not immediately respond to MT Newswires' request for comment.

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