New Samsung phones hit Russian market before West

Folding gadgets were presented at the electronics giant’s annual conference earlier this week

Sales of Samsung’s two latest folding smartphones – the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and the Fold5 – started in Russia earlier this week, two weeks before the official worldwide launch, scheduled for August 11.

The gadgets, which are not officially being supplied to the sanctions-hit country, were spotted by TASS news agency in the online store of Russia’s largest mobile network operator MTS, for immediate delivery.

The price of the Z Flip 5 smartphones starts from 110,000 rubles ($1,195), while the cheapest Fold 5 is 190,000 rubles ($2,064).

Meanwhile, Russian major electronics retailers M.Video and Eldorado are inviting their customers to pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Fold5 smartphones. The same option is provided by the internet store run by Russian telecoms operator Megafon.

In February 2023, sales of the Samsung S23 smartphone line began 11 days before the launch of global sales.

READ MORE: Sales of Chinese smartphones surge in Russia – media

Samsung announced a temporarily suspension of shipments of all its products to Russia in March 2022 amid Ukraine-related sanctions imposed by the West. Once the market leader in Russia, with a 34% share, the South Korean multinational attributed the move to “current geopolitical developments.”

Last year, Moscow authorized “parallel imports” of a wide range of consumer goods, including smartphones. The measure allows goods to be brought in from neighboring countries, letting Russian retailers keep selling Samsung and Apple phones, among others.

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