Moscowvites pay up to $3,700 for smuggled Apple iPhone 5 units

The Apple iPhone 5 has now been launched globally, but is not officially available in every little corner of the world. Take Moscow, for example. There is no Apple Store in Russia and Apple has not announced a release date for the latest iteration of its iconic smartphone for the country. But for the enterprising Moscowvite who wants an Apple iPhone 5 and wants one now, there is a solution. Smuggled units of the 16GB Apple iPhone 5 are going for as much as $2,200 for each handset with some models costing $3,700. Vendors are promising to deliver the phone as soon as tomorrow. Some of the vendors are admitting that their initial supply of smuggled Apple iPhone 5 units are coming from France with other shipments coming from the United States.

The 6th generation iPhone uses a nano SIM card, smaller than the micro SIM card used in older models, and some Russian carriers have already promised to have them ready by Saturday for Apple iPhone 5 users. Some of these carriers are offering the Apple iPhone 4S for a little under $1,000. As far as the vendors smuggling in the Apple iPhone 5 are concerned, one is even offering a two week replacement period and the one-year Apple warranty. But even though they claim to be acting legally, most of the vendors don't have a physical store where buyers can examine the device. What does that mean for buyers of the smuggled Apple iPhone 5 units in Moscow? It means that they don't have to wait on a long line to buy their phone.

source: ABCNews