Tech prices in Russia have a life of their own, and the same thing repeats every year: summer is quiet, by fall the exchange rate jumps, and price tags follow suit. This time there are even fewer reasons to wait than usual: it looks like Apple itself will soon raise prices, and I decided to stop hesitating. I don’t like buying on impulse, so I put together a list of five Apple devices I want to grab before the price hike.
Picked five gadgets to upgrade before prices go up
The list isn’t random. Some of my tech has noticeably aged, some has been begging to be added to the cart for a while, and some I’ve simply finally made up my mind about. I’ll talk about each item honestly, without any marketing gloss: where there’s a real necessity and where it’s just a desire to upgrade.
Which MacBook Air to Choose in 2026
My current Air with M2 is still going strong, and technically it’s too early to replace it. But every day I see where it starts hitting its limits. A dozen tabs, background photo uploads, a couple of heavy pages with ads, and you can already feel the heat. For articles, email, and browsing, the machine is enough, but as soon as I open a short video edit or a large document with images, there are pauses I never used to notice.
Decided to upgrade my MacBook
The M5 interests me not for benchmark numbers, but for the headroom for a couple of years ahead. I use my laptop for a long time, so I always buy with the future in mind. The new Air promises to run cooler under load and noticeably snappier in everyday tasks — and that’s exactly what I’m missing. Plus battery life: I often work away from a desk, and an extra hour without a charger makes a difference.
The higher configuration will be expensive, but the base Air M5 is well-priced. And that’s exactly why I want to get it before the fall price correction. The difference between “buy now” and “buy in six months” could amount to the cost of some decent accessories.
Price: 82,500 rubles
Which iPhone to Choose for Daily Use
I lived with the 16 Plus for a year and realized something important about myself: I’m willing to sacrifice the big screen for other features. The phone is comfortable, the screen is great — you can’t take that away from it. But by the end of the day my wrist gets tired, especially when shooting on the go.
Decided to upgrade from iPhone 16 Plus to the base iPhone 17
So this time I’m going with the regular iPhone 17. The base model has significantly improved over the last few generations: proper screen refresh rate, a decent camera, a fast processor. I don’t need a periscope lens and three camera modules — I shoot my kids and everyday scenes, and the main module handles that more than enough.
Another point about money. Reselling a year-old Plus in good condition is still reasonable right now, but in a few months its resale price will drop along with new rumors coming out. So it’s more profitable to make the switch now, while the market is warm.
Price: 68,700 rubles
When It’s Time to Replace iPhone 15 Plus with a New Smartphone
Here the logic is reversed. My wife actually needs a big and long-lasting phone, and her 15 Plus has served its time. The battery isn’t what it used to be — by evening it needs to be fed from a charger, and she takes a lot of photos: kids, walks, cooking, everything.
Decided to upgrade my wife straight to iPhone 17 Pro Max
The iPhone 17 Pro Max is the logical upgrade here. The cameras are noticeably stronger than the base model, the zoom is real rather than digital guesswork, and for a family photo archive that matters. The body is large, which suits her perfectly, and the battery life should last a full day with room to spare. Essentially, this is a phone that will serve her for three to four years, so the premium for the top model is justified.
I also want to buy it before the price increase. The Pro Max gets more expensive faster than all others because demand for it is consistently high, and parallel imports react to exchange rates quickly.
Price: 98,000 rubles
What Is AirTag For and How It Helps Find Things
I’ve been wanting to buy this little thing for literally years and kept forgetting every time. The tracker costs pennies compared to other tech, but that’s exactly why it kept falling off the list: first a phone, then a laptop, then something else more important.
Have been wanting to grab a couple of AirTags — one for keys and one for the car
This time I’m adding it to my order on principle. I need the tracker for my keys and my car. Just in case. The integration with the ecosystem works flawlessly here: open Find My, see the dot on the map, walk over. For me, this is a purchase in the “why did I wait so long” category.
Since I’m putting together a big order, adding a tracker makes sense.
Price: 3,200 rubles
Which iPad to Choose for Work and Study
My tablets last a long time — longer than any other device. That’s exactly why I approach choosing a new model carefully: if I buy one, it’s for the long haul and with the expectation that it will be a working tool.
