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Russia's Megafon inks 3-year deal with Apple to sell iPhone

It's an important deal for the Russian carrier, which hasn't been able to sell the iPhone since 2009.

Don Reisinger
CNET contributor Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has covered everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Besides his work with CNET, Don's work has been featured in a variety of other publications including PC World and a host of Ziff-Davis publications.
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Apple's iPhone 5S
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Megafon, a Russia-based carrier that hasn't been able to sell the iPhone since 2009, will again get Apple's smartphone on its store shelves.

Megafon reportedly said on Monday that it signed a three-year contract with Apple. Megafon will offer several iPhone models, reported Reuters, becoming the second carrier in the country to start selling Apple's handsets again. In October, Vimpelcom was the first Russian carrier to sign a new deal to start selling the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C.

Apple's iPhones were on sale at Megafon in 2009. However, according to Reuters, Apple stopped allowing Megafon and other Russian carriers to buy its handsets because they couldn't guarantee that their sales would hit a level Apple expected. If that's true, the carrier seemingly has no such fears any longer.