The iPhone 17 continues to enjoy strong sales despite the gloomy global economic outlook. One notable example is in Russia, where pre-orders for the device surged sharply over the past weekend.

Russia’s economy is currently slowing down. According to Reuters, the country’s interest rate has reached its highest level in 20 years, while the budget deficit has already surpassed 4 trillion rubles in 2025.

Nevertheless, the iPhone remains highly popular, even though its price in Russia is much higher compared to Western markets. It is worth noting that Apple stopped direct sales in the country back in 2022 following Western sanctions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The company also suspended several of its services, including Apple Pay, in the Russian market.

Despite these challenges, Russian consumers still welcomed the launch of the iPhone 17 with great enthusiasm. Reports from third-party retailers show that pre-orders jumped by more than 60% compared to 2024.

“This year, there are 66% more pre-orders than last year,” said Lyudmila Semushina, PR director of Inventive Retail Group, which operates the Restore retail chain, as quoted by Reuters on Monday (September 22, 2025).

Semushina further explained that Russia has a large base of Apple fans who remain loyal to the iPhone and are unlikely to switch to other devices.

Some Russians said they are particularly drawn to the services offered by the iPhone, such as FaceTime, especially since the government has restricted the use of WhatsApp and Telegram.

As for the iPhone 17 lineup, a customer named Oleg Kochetkov expressed his intention to switch to the iPhone 17 Air, which he described as Apple’s thinnest model to date.

“My main reason for upgrading from my current phone is to get the iPhone Air. I think it’s a significant improvement,” Oleg explained.

Meanwhile, tech blogger Sergei Yepikhin revealed that he plans to move from an Android phone to the iPhone 17 Pro. He is particularly interested in the new camera features highlighted in the latest series.

He also hopes that local companies will create solutions to help Russian iPhone users operate their devices more smoothly.

“There are plenty of new features that caught my attention, especially the camera,” Yepikhin said.