Russia Changes iPad Classification to 'Computer'

[Michael Essany]

Russia is laying down the law when it comes to classifying the iPad within consumer electronics. According to Russia's national customs agency, the iPad should be reclassified as a personal computer.

And so it has.

From now on, Russia makes no distinction between personal computers and iPads. What's behind the move? Money.
The change is going to help Russian customers save some. Previously, iPad buyers weren't spared the additional 5% import tax that applied to sales of the Apple tablet.

Russia scrapped a 5 percent import duty on Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s iPad after classifying it as a computer rather than a GPS-navigation device, Vedomosti reported, citing an order by the country’s customs service.

Before its reclassification, the iPad was previously considered a "navigation device" due to some models including a GPS. For now, other tablets (with or without GPS) aren't similarly being reclassified to computers in Russia. As of this writing, the change pertains exclusively to the iPad.

Basically, Russia is adding to the deep divide between research groups which can't decide whether to lump the iPad into market data tracking PC sales. With the iPad included, global PC sales look healthy. Without the iPad, the PC market looks pretty dismal.

Source: Bloomberg

[Mr. Russian]

Go russia, so smart

[unison999]

More like Apple lobbied for this change, or else why just Apple and nobody else?
Common sense actually would leave it as GPS device because it has a GPS in it, because it is 5% revenue lost for the government. I guess Apple expect more customers since customer saves this 5% AND there is less of price gap because you still have to pay this 5% on other device, get this passed right before the new iPad comes out is pretty smart move.

[epikarus]

i highly doubt that the savings will be passed on to the consumers.

[Moreno53]

More like Apple lobbied for this change, or else why just Apple and nobody else?
Common sense actually would leave it as GPS device because it has a GPS in it, because it is 5% revenue lost for the government. I guess Apple expect more customers since customer saves this 5% AND there is less of price gap because you still have to pay this 5% on other device, get this passed right before the new iPad comes out is pretty smart move.

No common sense says its a computer. According to your idiotic logic every smartphone with GPS should be considered a GPS device and not a phone.

[Cellular]

Lol a computer? It's hardly a computer it's more of a "App player" at best. How can it be called a personal computer when you can't really personalize it with out jailbreaking the thing...

Go russia, so smart

In soviet russia tablet is computer and computer is tablet. What?

[malahhaor]

There is no way they did this from the goodness of their hearts to the people. Someone got paid.

[cmwade77]

i highly doubt that the savings will be passed on to the consumers.

The way I read it is there was a 5% tax added to the purchase price, so yes, the savings would be passed on to the consumers, as they will not have to pay that tax.