Low iPhone sales threaten Russian carriers
updated 03:30 pm EDT, Thu May 21, 2009
Low Russian iPhone sales
Extremely low Russian iPhone sales may threaten the country's three biggest cellphone carriers, several regional reports suggest. MTS, Megafon and Vimpelkom all agreed to carry the iPhone in 2008, with the provision that each would sell a minimum quantity. MTS agreed to sell 1 million phones in three years, while Megafon agreed to the same amount in two years. Vimpelkom made the most dramatic pledge, hoping to sell at least 1.5 million phones in two years.
The problem is that while approximately 900,000 iPhones are now present in Russia, only 400,000 of these were delivered through Apple partners, the rest having been imported and hacked to work locally. Of the official iPhones, just 127,000 have allegedly been sold to the public, leaving vast numbers remaining in stock. No Russian carrier has ordered more iPhones from Apple during 2009, research is said to have uncovered.
Should iPhone sales not pick up dramatically over the course of the next 18 months, the carriers could thus be left in breach of contract, collectively owing between $500 million and $1 billion. The exact fines may be dependent on factors like retail prices; sources claim that two of the carriers have already told shareholders to prepare, though negotiations could defray costs. The companies are believed to be asking for either lower prices or smaller quotas, both of which Apple has refused.
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Joined: Oct 2004
fictional number
Even though you may delight in giving fictional numbers for 'hacked' iPhones in Russia. even if your numbers are correct, your own math shows its irrelevent, even sales of 627,000 (your 500,000 'hack' made-up number, plus the 127,000 actually sold = 627,000) is extremly low, and wouldn't have met the commitments the carriers made.
MEANING the real story is about low iPhone sales in Russia, and the 'hacking' just your prejudice about Russia, and inconsequential to the story.
Not that Russia doesn't have it shared of legally imported and properly used iPhone, not sold through Apple partners....but even if you could wave a magic wand and disappear this market, that wouldn't translate into much in the way of more iphone sales through apple partners, but simply more sales of phones to other brands, not apple.
Because, what it comes down to is this, the economy crashed, and people don't have money to pay for one of the most expensive phones in all of Russia.
Try not to make every story about your own prejudices, and try reporting some facts and doing real analysis.