The Apple Vision Pro is the hottest tech product in the world right now and is only available officially in the U.S. However, at least one third-party store in Russia is offering the mixed-reality headset for over $6,000, despite Apple no longer exporting to the country following the invasion of Ukraine.
Apple hasn’t sold in Russia since the conflict broke out in March 2022, now, almost two years later, shops located near the Kremlin are selling Apple Vision Pro.
The Apple Vision Pro isn’t available in Europe yet, but a former official Apple reseller has got its hands on the headset and is offering the product for huge amounts over the retail price.
CNBC surveyed Russian websites and tech blogs which showed that Apple products are still readily available in the country despite Apple’s strict stance on removing all products from sale. According to CNBC, on the ground in Moscow, Apple products including its best MacBooks, iPhones, and iPads are available in stores, although prices may be higher than they were pre-invasion. The Russian version of Apple’s tech support website is still active, but the official Apple Store website is offline, displaying a message in Russian saying, “The Apple Store is currently closed.”
In Moscow, a retail store called re:Store is offering the Vision Pro for around $6,307, which is over 50% higher than Apple’s $3,499 retail price in the U.S. That said, we’d expect any store that has imported Apple Vision Pro anywhere in Europe to offer the product at ridiculous prices.
No Apple in Russia
Russian blogger “Romance768” has already unboxed the Vision Pro to his 1 million followers online and has spoken with CNBC to give a clearer indication of Apple’s availability in the country.
He explains that one of his team placed an order in New York and brought the headset back to Moscow within a day. Importing Apple Vision Pro was the cheapest and quickest way for the blogger to bring the product back to get a timely unboxing online. That said, he explains that all Apple products are still available in Russia, even if not officially, “Officially, Apple does not sell anything in Russia. Russian companies buy equipment in other countries and bring it to their stores. This has led to a huge increase in prices. So Vision Pro in Moscow costs not $3,500 but $5,000.”
As for the rest of us in Europe, we’re waiting with bated breath to receive Apple Vision Pro, hopefully, Apple’s official pricing across the Atlantic isn’t as outlandish as these Russian third-party sellers.