May 21 - 3:30pm EDT   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. [full story]

October 6 - 9:10am EDT   At least some Russians could finally have normal access to the iTunes Store in 2009, reports say. While Macs, iPods and now iPhones are on sale in the country, Apple's online media storefront has been conspicuously absent, with the exception of the App Store. Music and/or video could be coming soon through an unusual deal with one of Russia's iPhone carriers, writes RBC Daily. [full story]

September 26 - 9:10am EDT   The iPhone should go on sale in Russia October 3rd, Reuters reports. Nadezhda Senyuk, a PR director for Russia's Tekhnosila retail chain, explains that several retailers should begin selling the iPhone overnight between October 2nd and 3rd. Two other retailers, Eldorado and M.video, have confirmed Senyuk's statements by issuing separate announcements of an October 3rd sell date. Eldorado says it expects total iPhone sales in the country to reach 150,000 for 2008, out of which Eldorado hopes to claim 15,000. [full story]

September 9 - 12:40am EDT   Although pricing information was not mentioned, Russia-based Vimpelcom on Monday announced it would offer the iPhone with no subsidy, since Russian law dictates that locked phone are illegal. Reuters reveals that Vimpelcom CEO Alexander Izosimov confirmed the move at the Reuters Russia Investment Summit, continuing upon an official launch confirmation in late August. An estimated half-million unlocked iPhone handsets already see use by Russians. [full story]

September 5 - 3:55pm EDT   Russia's top cellular carrier, Mobile TeleSystems, today announced it has successfully negotiated with Apple and will soon be offering the iPhone, according to the Associated Press. This confirms speculation that Apple would be making deals with all three major Russian carriers, as the company signed deals with Vimpelcom and MegaFon earlier this week. [full story]

September 2 - 11:25am EDT   Russia's third-largest telecom firm, Megafon, has announced that it has reached an agreement with Apple to carry the iPhone 3G, making it the second carrier in the country to offer the device. The company has not yet committed to any particular release date, but has announced in a statement that the iPhone will be available "later this year." [full story]

September 2 - 10:20am EDT   Apple now has one of the best outlooks among companies tracked by Piper Jaffray, say analysts from the research firm. The former corporation is now a member of Piper's Alpha List, due to three separate factors. The first of these is the current Back to School promotion, under which some Mac purchases by students are eligible for a free iPod touch, normally selling for $299. This has driven both Mac and iPod sales, notably, and Piper believes the impact has been underestimated by other researchers. [full story]

August 21 - 12:40pm EDT   Russia may be in line for the iPhone 3g via Mobile TeleSystems, according to claimed "market sources." Reuters is reporting that Apple has agreed with MTS on iPhone 3G distribution in Russia, with sales likely beginning in October. Both parties are declining comment, though Apple is also rumored to be close to a deal with the two remaining major carriers in Russia, Megafon and VimpelCom. [full story]

August 18 - 3:10pm EDT   Apple is nearing an agreement to sell the iPhone in Russia, says Vedomosti. The regional publication cites inside sources, who claim that two out of the three major cellular carriers in Russia -- Megafon and VimpelCom -- are on the verge of signing a deal to distribute the iPhone. The only stumbling block at present is said to be bulk orders, as Apple may want carriers to accept unusually large quantities of the phone all at once -- between 1 to 1.5 million units each, for a total of 3 to 4.5 million for the whole country. [full story]

August 4 - 3:05pm EDT   Sales of the iPhone in Russia will begin next year, a regional site reports. Vedomosti says it has received the information from Yevgeny Butman, the Moscow director of Apple IMC, which in turn is Apple's authorized distributor for Russia. Although few details are available, carrier Megafona is already claiming to be in negotiations to become a non-exclusive partner, likely competing alongside other Russian phone companies for a share of the iPhone market. [full story]

June 16 - 10:20am EDT   Old pricing schemes are to blame for Russia not being included in iPhone 3G plans, writes the Moscow Times. The newspaper notes that two of the country's major cellular carriers, MegaFon and Mobile TeleSystems, have confirmed that they were previously in talks for iPhone sales, but that Apple's terms were considered unacceptable. It was asking local carriers to buy phones wholesale, says one unidentified company, and additionally demanding 10 percent from each device sold, as well as 10 percent from each subscriber's monthly fee. [full story]

April 29 - 11:00am EDT   The iPhone is extremely popular in Russia despite its official absence from the country, according to multiple accounts. Analyst Eldar Murtazin of Mobile Research Group notes that there are approximately 500,000 iPhones operating in Russia, making for the third-highest number in the world after the United States and China; neither China nor Russia have had deals signed between Apple and a regional carrier. Instead, it is said to be common for Russians to travel to the US and buy phones in bulk, and then smuggle them back home for resale. [full story]

April 16 - 12:40pm EDT   Russians may soon be forced to register each and every device they own that has Wi-Fi capabilities, a local news publication reports. Fontanka writes that the policy has been adopted by the government agency responsible for regulating communications and cultural protection, and may only allow people to use a Wi-Fi device so long as they have special permission. The registration of items like smartphones and notebooks could take up to 10 days, while routers may require extra documentation, as well as a proper license. In locations such as Moscow and St. Petersburg, people may need the approval of the FSB, the successors to the KGB. [full story]

April 14 - 10:20am EDT   The iTunes Store may finally open to Russians later this month, a local publication claims. Billboard ads have been posted in multiple locations across Moscow, proclaiming "iSkoro 21.04.2008;" iSkoro translates to "iSoon," and the style of the ads are said to resemble Apple's iPhone packaging. In recent days similar websites are said to have been posted online as well, each proclaiming "iTunes Store Russia 21.04.2008." Crucially, imacintosh.ru lists its support e-mail as "rusupport@apple.com," and itunes-store.ru lists its contact as "support@apple.ru." The apple.ru domain actually belongs to Apple IMC, Russia's largest distributor of Apple products. [full story]

April 4 - 12:35pm EDT   Russia will soon get its first-ever official BlackBerry service, according to Reuters. Local carrier Vimpelcom says it has forged a contract with the Russian unit of British American Tobacco, in order to sell corporate versions of the BlackBerry 8700g and provide Research in Motion's proprietary e-mail delivery. The company's push e-mail technology is considered one of the primary reasons to get a BlackBerry, and has made the phones popular with businesses in Europe and North America. [full story]