In the third quarter of 2024, Russia experienced a notable surge in used Apple iPhone sales, driven by affordability and consumer demand. However, this spike has since normalized, with secondary markets returning to their earlier sales levels. Although Apple no longer sells its products in Russia, in response to the invasion of Ukraine, Apple phones, tablets and all kinds of accessories continue to arrive in massive quantities through resale from third countries, typically through countries that have not imposed sanctions on Russia, such as Turkey, Kazakhstan, China, India and the United Arab Emirates, according to press agency Reuters. Used, refurbished and new alike.
Rise and fall of used Apple iPhone sales
Data from Avito, a prominent online marketplace, revealed a 5% increase in used Apple iPhone sales during August and September. Similarly, Ozon reported a sharp rise in sales, from 4,000 units per quarter in the first half of the year to nearly 8,000 in the third quarter. However, both platforms observed a return to baseline figures following this surge.
Avito noted that Apple smartphones continue to dominate the secondary market, comprising 63% of total sales, followed by Samsung at 12%. Used smartphones overall accounted for 75% of the platform's total sales structure, with an average price of € 287 rubles for the most popular models. The Apple iPhone 11 and Apple iPhone 12 series were consumer favorites, valued for their affordability. In September, the average cost of a used Apple iPhone 12 was € 368.
Used and refurbished and new Apple iPhone trends
Retailers like M.Video-Eldorado also reported strong sales of refurbished Apple iPhones, particularly the Apple iPhone 11 (12% market share), Apple iPhone 13 (11%), and Apple iPhone 12 (9%). Meanwhile, sales of new Apple iPhones rose 18% on Avito and 9% year-on-year in the T2 retail network.
Market factors shaping demand
Industry experts attribute the stagnation in the secondary market to increased accessibility of new devices through installment plans, which accounted for 30% of smartphone sales in 2024.
Russia's overall smartphone market growth
Despite the slowdown in the used smartphone segment, Russia's overall smartphone market showed marginal growth. In the first 10 months of 2024, 24.6 million smartphones were sold—a 0.3% year-on-year increase—generating € 5.29 billion rubles in revenue, up 12% in monetary terms.
Market
Trade-in
Repair
Refurbishing
