MOSCOW, January 27, /ITAR-TASS/. Megafon has become a second cellular phone operator after Vympelkom to reach agreement with Apple on direct deliveries of smarphones to Russia. The two companies sigend a three-year-contract under which Megafon will be purchasing Apple-made smarphones of various models, Yulia Dorokhina, press secretary of the operator, told Itar-Tass. The value of the contract is not disclosed.

"Apple-made smartphones are already on the shelves of Megafon showrooms and are indicative of good sales. The conclusion of the direct contract will enable us always to have the necessary range of smartphones and improve the inventory replenishment pace in our own retail network," Dorokhina said.

Earlier, it was only Vympelkom that has a direct contract for the delivery of Apple smartphones to Russia. MTS official Dmitry Solodovnikov told Itar-Tass that the operator would go ahead with operations to sell iPhone via the distribution companies Merlion and diHouse.

iPhone 5S and 5C are the first smartphones of Apple that can operate at Russia's LTE frequencies. However, until recently, only Vympekom subscribers could use the 4g data transmission network. In the networks of other operators, the software-based LTE function was switched off. Apple representatives explained such a policy by the need to test the network of a specific operator. It is essential for phone owners to renew iPhone setup to connect data transmission via a 4g network.