Apple stopped selling its iPhones, Macs, and all of its physical products in Russia following its invasion of Ukraine, the Cupertino-based tech giant confirmed in its latest statement.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 24: People shop at the Fifth Avenue Apple Store during the launch of Apple’s new iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini on September 24, 2021 in New York City. The new phones come equipped with a A15 Bionic chip, improved dual-camera system and longer battery life than the iPhone 12. The iPhone 13 Mini starts at $729, and the iPhone 13 starts at $829.
As per a news story by The Verge, the latest move by the iPhone maker is not its first response to the Ukraine conflict.
In fact, Apple has previously limited the access of its users in Russia for Apple Pay as it follows the sanctions against Russia.
On top of that, the tech giant also confirmed in its statement that apps of some media outlets in Russia are no longer downloadable outside of the Russian nation.
Apple Stops Selling Products in Russia
The Cupertino tech giant specifically said in its statement that it has already" stopped all exports into our sales channel in the country" since last week, which the firm says is its response to the "Russian invasion of Ukraine."
The MacBook Pro laptop is displayed at an Apple Store on June 27, 2019 in Corte Madera, California. Apple announced a recall of an estimated 432,000 15-inch MacBook Pro laptops due to concerns of overheating batteries that could catch fire. The recall is for 15-inch MacBook Pro laptops sold between September 2015 and February 2017.
The Verge confirmed in its report that both iPhone and Mac are currently listed as unavailable in the online store of Apple in Russia. However, its website is still accessible in the region.
In addition to that, Apple products could no longer be added to carts on its Russian website.
Apple and Russia
According to a recent report by NPR, Apple's flagship smartphone, the iPhone, ranks as the third best-selling mobile device in the Russian region, it lags behind other phone makers, such as Xiaomi and Samsung.
Meanwhile, Gene Munster from the investment company, Loup Ventures, told NPR that the latest move of the Cupertino tech giant is "shocking," saying that "it's pretty unheard of for a company to stop selling its products."
He further noted that Apple is known to distance itself from various political issues.
Munster went on to share that he estimates that Russia holds at least 2 percent of the global earnings of Apple. Thus, the sales of the Cupertino giant in the largest country in the world account for over $7 billion.
Apple and Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Apple further said that it "stands with all of the people who are suffering as a result of the violence," noting that the tech giant is calling for peace.
Thus, on top of that, the tech giant said that it is also extending a helping hand to those affected by the conflict by "providing aid for the unfolding refugee crisis."
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Written by Teejay Boris
