Official retail
The simplest and most convenient way to purchase a new smartphone is to visit the official brand store or dealer website, or to order from the manufacturer’s authorized retailers. When buying at an official Russian representative or at stores such as M.Video-Eldorado, DNS, or Svyaznoy, customers receive a warranty card. In case of malfunction or manufacturing defect, authorized service centers provide free repairs under warranty.
However, official prices can mean overpayment, especially when comparing Russian and Chinese retail. For example, the Xiaomi 12 Pro flagship, shown in the company’s official store and local retail in early May with 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage, is priced around 135 thousand rubles. In contrast, the same model in China is offered at about 5.4 thousand yuan, roughly 50 thousand rubles, in official stores there.
According to Eldar Murtazin, principal analyst at Mobile Research Group, smartphone prices today vary greatly by sales channel. He notes a simple approach: compare prices across major chains such as M.Video, Svyaznoy, and DNS for the exact model while also considering discounts frequently offered by operator retailing on weekends despite changes in policy.
Yet, Murtazin also points out that official branded retail is under pressure and often lacks merchandise, suggesting shoppers look at other sites for alternatives.
AliExpress
Buying a smartphone from China via AliExpress can bring both advantages and drawbacks. For instance, the global Xiaomi 12 Pro with 12/256 GB is listed on the site for around 60 thousand rubles, more than half of the Russian retail price. The device differs from the Russian version mainly in firmware, with the European version lacking Russian preinstalled apps. The European version may come with regional preloads such as eBay, while the Russian version includes MirPay and Yandex services that users can install themselves.
The major downsides of purchasing on AliExpress include the absence of a local warranty and longer delivery times, typically ranging from 10 to 90 days, though many packages arrive within two to three weeks. A YouTube channel creator, Alexander Myasnikov, notes that price comparisons often show AliExpress savings of 30 to 100 percent versus official Russian prices. He also mentions groups that pool discounts on smartphones and provides examples of price fluctuations driven by currency movements.
Grey shops
Russia also hosts gray market shops that import smartphones from Europe and China. The existing view is that the gray market has faded somewhat, with prices approaching those of official stores. Still, some observers claim that gray stores can offer lower costs, albeit with different warranty terms. These stores are subject to consumer protection laws in Russia, which allow refunds for goods of insufficient quality. AliExpress purchases may require longer processes to obtain refunds, often at the buyer’s expense for sending items back to abroad sellers.
Examples show that a Xiaomi 12 Pro with 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB may be priced around 99 thousand rubles in popular gray outlets, a figure lower than Russian retail yet still above AliExpress. Gray stores typically provide a store warranty and free service, and they operate under national consumer rights laws that permit returns for quality issues. This contrasts with AliExpress where warranty handling may take longer and costs can accrue for returns.
Avito
Avito, a popular classified site, often lists higher or lower tier gray shops offering new smartphones. A Xiaomi 12 Pro with 12/256 GB is sometimes available there for about 83 thousand rubles. Some buyers report that Avito can offer bargains compared with official channels, but it is crucial to verify seller reliability through reviews and tenure on the platform. Government services verification marks can help buyers avoid scams.
Given Russia’s approval of a list of goods allowed for parallel import, Russian versions of smartphones may gradually disappear from official shelves. Models from Europe, China, and the UAE could replace them, and distributors like CDEK already market such variants. In this shift, prices may not necessarily fall, and service arrangements remain a point of consideration.
For those seeking savings, purchasing via AliExpress remains an option, provided the buyer weighs the importance of warranty and selects a European version from a reputable seller with solid reviews.