They don't pick up the phone: sellers' warehouses in Russia are overflowing with expensive Apple and Samsung smartphones

A significant stock of expensive Apple and Samsung smartphones has accumulated in the warehouses of domestic retailers, market participants told Izvestia. Customers began to save on electronics, and premium models have to be sold at discounts. To sell them, retail reduces prices: since the beginning of the year, the iPhone 17 has fallen in price by 25-30%, older versions by 15-20%, and Samsung devices by 5-17%. Prices for other electronics and household appliances practically do not change. Experts attribute the current situation to excessive purchases of gadgets in late 2025 – early 2026, which led to an imbalance of supply and demand in the market.

How much have Apple and Samsung smartphones become cheaper

Prices for Apple smartphones in Russia have dropped significantly since the beginning of 2026, market representatives told Izvestia. The cost of the iPhone 17 decreased by 25-30%, for older versions — by 15-20%, noted in M.Video. Moreover, the main drop in value has occurred over the past two months. The decrease for the Apple Watch Series 11 reaches 30-35%, for Ultra models — about 20-30%.

The basic modification of the new flagship Galaxy S26 (12/256 GB) has fallen in price from 89.99 thousand to 84.99 thousand rubles (about 5-6%), in the Galaxy S26+ line — by 5-10%, and in the segment of older Galaxy S26 Ultra models — up to 10-15%, depending on the configuration, the company said.

According to Fplus, the cost of iPhones and Samsung gadgets, depending on the specific model, decreased by an average of 8-10% compared to the beginning of the year. This is due to the limited quantity of goods at the start of sales in general, which can lead to overestimation of prices, and the impact of exchange rate fluctuations is also noticeable.

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Among the most affordable models are the iPhone 17e, MacBook Neo and iPad Air M4.

Wildberries, which also noted a noticeable decrease in the cost of the entire iPhone line, explained the situation with limited goods at the start of sales, which could initially lead to an overestimation of prices, and then to a decrease, as well as the influence of exchange rate fluctuations. The reduction in the cost of Samsung's flagship models is explained by the sellers' desire to improve sales dynamics, the marketplace's press service added.

— The Galaxy A16 5G has fallen the most in price over the past month: gadgets in this series have fallen by 17%. At the same time, the price reduction for other smartphones was not so significant. So, among Apple smartphones, the iPhone 15 Plus fell the most — by 4%. The cost of the 15 Pro has decreased by 3%," says Sergey Nogin, Head of Business Development at Avito Telecom and IT.

According to his forecast, prices for smartphones and electronics will maintain their current level in the coming months. Models of previous generations will remain in the price range corresponding to market expectations, and interest in current flagships will be maintained due to stable consumer activity.

iPhone prices have actually dropped significantly over the past two months, and Samsung has been less affected, according to Eldar Murtazin, a leading analyst at Mobile Research Group. According to him, at the end of 2025, large sellers bought so many gadgets that they cannot sell them now, at least at a high cost. It is affected by the declining dollar exchange rate: it is declining following the strengthening of the ruble, the expert explained.

The cost reduction is a consequence of overstocking warehouses: sellers overestimated the demand for expensive gadgets in the face of declining consumer activity and are now forced to sell them at discounts, agrees Denis Kuskov, CEO of TelecomDaily.

Will gadgets continue to get cheaper

The cost of gadgets is also affected by the completion of initial demand, the expansion of supply and active promotions from retailers, the press service of M.Video". In addition, if the ruble exchange rate remains stable, further smooth cost adjustments are expected, primarily in mass configurations, the company believes.

Price is a multifactorial quantity that is determined by logistics, the exchange rate, inventory and demand, Fplus agrees.

— After the New Year and gender holidays, demand cools down, because, on the one hand, the purchasing power of citizens decreases, and on the other, the second quarter has arrived — the traditionally low season, when, as a rule, expensive purchases are not made, which include iPhone and Samsung smartphones. But entrepreneurs cannot sit with the purchased stock, because the longer they store the goods in the warehouse, the more resources it "eats up," the company explained.

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Therefore, the business makes an unpleasant but correct decision — to "release" the money invested in the product and sell at a discount — in the current economic conditions, this is perhaps the only logical step, according to Fplus. With the released funds, you can either find the same product, but cheaper, or another one, which is currently in demand, indicated in the dig. For example, more budget models from Chinese manufacturers. It is possible that prices for flagship A-brand models will continue to decline until the end of July, they added.

In the first quarter of 2026, consumer demand for non-food products decreased sharply: in the smartphone segment, sales fell by about 15% compared to the same period last year, said Maria Pantyukhina, head of sales at diHouse. Russian users have started saving on expensive purchases — not only on electronics, but also, for example, on high-budget trips around Russia and abroad, Denis Kuskov pointed out.

Buying expensive smartphones is not a priority right now, the expert believes. In addition, many of the top models, such as the iPhone 17, were acquired at the start of sales. When overstocking occurs in the market, and the activity and financial capabilities of buyers decrease, falling prices for expensive smartphones is a logical behavior of sellers, Denis Kuskov concluded.