The Apple iPhone 3G will formally make its Russian debut on October 3rd. The 8GB iPhone 3G will sell for 22,999 Rubles (about USD$925) and the 16GB model for 26,999 Rubles (about USD$1,085) without a service contract.
Russian retailers expect to sell as many as 150,000 units before the end of the year. It is estimated that there are already some 500,000 unlocked iPhones in use in Russia.
The three largest mobile carriers, MTS, Vimpelcom and MegaFon, will all offer the iPhone, having reached distribution deals with Apple earlier in the year.