Russian cell carrier says iPhone ‘dictatorship’ makes tough sell

Written by

Sarah Frier for Bloomberg:

“They’re [Apple] more in a dictatorship mode where they say, ‘This is what you have to do or you don’t get the iPhone,’” Vasyl Latsanych, the Russian company’s vice president of marketing, said at the event. “Being arrogant with your partners in big markets doesn’t pay off.”

Latsanych works for MTS, Russia’s biggest regional cell phone carrier. Latsanych complains about the phone’s cost and about Apple’s requirements that “the carrier’s retail locations meet its standards, imposing additional burdens.”



  • gjgustav

    Sounds like MTS doesn’t like Apple’s “dictatorship” muscling in on MTS’ “dictatorship.”

    It’s pretty simple really. Do they want to make lots of money selling iPhones or not?

  • tylernol

    Russians dont like arrogance? Isn’t that like the English not liking tea?

  • http://www.scottearle.com/ Scott Earle

    A carrier does not like the fact that Apple is removing the absolute stranglehold that carriers traditionally have over their customers?

    Colour me shocked.

    The funny bit is that they say that Apple are the dictators. Pots and kettles anyone?

    Incidentally, does Apple see the carriers as partners, or as providers of network access? I suspect the latter – and this is as it should be.

    (Oh – and I am English, and dislike tea …)

  • http://twitter.com/Moeskido Moeskido

    “We reserve the right to sell this product under our customarily tawdry conditions.”

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_MGKMDABPUEAIAYIL5RC6WGE3AY Schuyler

    Wait- you now have to come to an agreement with a company if you want to sell their products?!

  • http://twitter.com/RASTERMAN RASTERMAN

    “Being arrogant with your partners in big markets doesn’t pay off.”

    $117B in the bank says different.

    Cheers!

    —RASTER