Iran pipo go soon fit buy iPhone 14, 15 and 16 afta di authorities don lift di ban wey dem put for di new smartphone models from Apple, di US tech company. Dis one na wetin dem announce.
Di ban wey dem put for di new iPhone models don dey since 2023, but now di telecommunications minister for di kontri tok on Wednesday say dem don allow di registration of di new models.
Di minister, Satar Hashemi, tok for X say di wahala wey dey for registering di new iPhone models for Iran market don “solve” and Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian support di communication ministry effort for di matter.
Hashemi no give full gist but e tok say dem go announce di import measures soon.
Since di 2023 ban, pipo still dey import iPhone 13 and di older versions because di demand for di phones still high. Di phone na status symbol for many young Iranians.
When di ban dey, any iPhone 14, 15 or newer model wey dem carry enter Iran go stop to dey work for di kontri state-controlled mobile phone networks afta one month, di time wey dem dey allow tourists to stay for di kontri.
‘Na luxury product’
Di ban make parallel market for di older iPhone models rise, and di price of di phones climb because pipo dey rush buy di phones as dem wan use am hold di value of dia Iranian rials wey dey depreciate. Dis one na sign of di economic wahala wey dey Iran afta di Western sanctions wey don dey for decades.
Di import of iPhones don always be matter wey dey cause kasala — government statistics show say about one-third of Iran $4.4 billion mobile phone import market na iPhones before di ban.
Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for 2020 sharply criticise di import of iPhones, even though before e don tok against wetin e call American luxury goods.
“Too much import dey dangerous,” Khamenei tok dat time, according to wetin dem write for im official website. “Sometimes di import na luxury product, meaning say we no need am. I hear say dem spend like half a billion dollars to import one type of American luxury phone.”
But other foreign smartphone brands like Motorola, Samsung, Nokia, Xiaomi and Huawei still dey plenty for Iran.
