In 2024–2025, Russia’s smartphone scene has seen dramatic shifts. Russian buyers are gravitating toward value-packed Chinese smartphones, with a sprinkling of Apple devices for prestige—and even a few unique local endeavors.
1. The Chinese Phone Takeover
- Market dominance: Chinese brands—Xiaomi, Redmi/POCO, Realme, TECNO, and Infinix—market over 79% of Russia’s smartphone imports in 2023 Infinix Mob.
- Sales leaders (1H24):
- Redmi A2+ (64 GB) tops sales charts, followed by Realme Note 50 (both 64 GB and 128 GB), Redmi 12 (256 GB), and Redmi 13C (256 GB) LinkedInDroidverse.
- Top brands by volume (Jan–Jun 2024): Xiaomi/Redmi/POCO (24%), TECNO (14%), Realme (13%), Samsung (10%), Infinix (10%), Apple (9%) DroidverseReddit.
- Growth standouts:
- Infinix doubled its sales in Q2 2024, TECNO grew by 69%, and OnePlus rose by 23% over the previous year Infinix Mob.
- Why this surge?
- Western tech restrictions amid sanctions, falling demand for pricier Western brands, Chinese offerings with high value-to-cost, and distrust of US tech contributed to the shift Infinix MobNewizv.
2. Apple Still Holds Value, Samsung Fights On
- Apple leads revenue: Despite lower unit sales, Apple earns ~33% of revenue vs. Xiaomi’s 16% in early 2024 DroidverseLinkedIn.
- Resale popularity: iPhones (especially the 13 Pro Max and 14 Pro Max) dominate the secondary market, thanks to strong resale value and repair networks Social Bites.
- Brand standings (2024): Apple topped in popularity rankings (displacing Xiaomi and Samsung), followed by Huawei and Realme Izvestia.
- Market share glimpses: Apple (63% by value), Samsung (12%), Xiaomi (11%), Honor (3%), Realme (2%) Infinix Mob.
- Russian iPhone access: Despite export bans, retailers offer grey-market iPhone 16 models at higher local prices via channels like Turkey and China Reuters.
3. Local Efforts and Unique Operating Systems
- AYYA T1: A domestically developed smartphone by Rostec, priced around $200 and designed with Russian components and Aurora OS support. However, sales have been underwhelming (under 1,000 units sold) due to chip shortages Wikipedia.
- Aurora OS: Russia’s own mobile OS began deployment in late 2023, with modest hardware adoption—about 800 phones and 130 tablets shipped by 2024. In 2025, RuStore (state-backed app store) is now mandated on all Russian smartphones Wikipedia+1.
Quick Overview Table
| Category | Leading Choice(s) | Why It Stands Out |
|---|---|---|
| Budget smartphones | Redmi A2+, Redmi 12, Realme Note 50 | Affordable, widely available, excellent specs |
| Growth brands | Infinix, TECNO, OnePlus | Strong sales growth |
| Premium/high value | Apple iPhone models | Excellent resale value, reliability, app ecosystem |
| Local innovation | AYYA T1 with Aurora OS | Emblematic of domestic tech push—still nascent in adoption |
| OS & app ecosystem | Aurora OS and RuStore | Russian alternatives to Android ecosystem |
Final Thoughts
If you’re shopping for a phone in Russia today:
- Choose Redmi or Realme for great value in everyday use.
- Look at Infinix or TECNO if growth and fresh designs appeal to you.
- Stick with Apple for long-term use and prestige—especially if resale is important.
- Keep an eye on AYYA and Aurora OS—they offer a glimpse into Russia’s technology-forward direction, though still limited in scale.