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BEIJING, March 16 (TMTPOST) — Russian consumers are resorting to Chinese smartphone brands as other multinational brands such as Apple and Samsung surge in price due to the war between Russia and Ukraine, Russian news agency Kommersant reported, quoting statistics from February 28 to March 13 from local telecom operator MTS.

Smartphones are becoming more expensive in Russia due to international sanctions against the country and the operation suspension of many multinational smartphone companies in Russia. Apple, for instance, had announced earlier that it would halt all product sales from its online website. The decrease in the supply of iPhones has led to a price surge of the products. South Korean consumer electronics giant Samsung had also halted smartphone and chip shipment to Russia. It is worth noting that 34% of phones in Russia were manufactured by Samsung, ahead of rivals like Xiaomi, Apple and Realme, according to market research firm IDC.

The price surge has motivated Russian consumers to turn to cheaper alternatives——Chinese smartphones. Huawei phones have experienced the highest growth among Chinese brands, with its sales tripled. OPPO and VIVO also saw their sales grow by at least 200%. ZTE, on the other hand, registered 100% growth in sales. Realme saw 80% growth. However, Xiaomi did not enjoy as much growth as its Chinese counterparts because of the lack of supply in Russia.

Arkady Markaryan, head of the smartphones and mobile devices at Aliexpress Russia, said that the growth was demonstrated by brands that are ready to meet demand and have sufficient stock in warehouses. He said that low-cost models and mid-range smartphones are now popular.

The Russian government has been urging its citizens to switch to purchasing Russian-made Ayya T1 smartphones after multinational companies halted sales and operations in the country. The company that manufactures Ayya smartphones is owned by Rostec, which was established in 2007 by Russian President Vladimir Putin and is known for developing innovative products and military technologies.

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