Many big companies left Russia after the attack on Ukraine, including Apple which announced it would no longer sell its flagship gadgets, including the iPhone. This is considered to be a separate pressure for Samsung as the mobile giant in addition to Apple.
In its announcement, Apple stopped selling all of its products following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. All Apple products in Russian online stores are not available for purchase. Apple sells its products there via the internet and does not yet have a physical store.
According to Ben Wood as an analyst from CCS Insight, Apple's action will certainly put pressure on rival companies such as Samsung. Many may think that Samsung should follow Apple to no longer sell in Russia.
"Apple's statement is important. They are the leaders in this matter," Wood said, quoted by CNBC.
Anshel Sag as analyst at Moor Insight and Strategy also agreed, saying Apple's move to leave Russia could force other phone manufacturers to follow suit.
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Apart from not selling gadgets, Apple has also removed the Russian government-controlled news service RT News from the App Store so that it can no longer be accessed except in Russia.
Apple's move is considered not to be too detrimental considering its large business. "Apple is a big player in technology and one of the most valuable companies in the world," said Wood.
Apple's market is large in Russia, with a market share of around 15% according to Counterpoint Research. Last year, an estimated 32 million iPhone units were sold there.
However, it is predicted that the impact for Apple will be insignificant even if they stop selling in Russia. "Their business is so big. For them, losing revenue in Russia will not have a huge impact on their business," added Wood.