Tech import substitution: instead of ultrabooks, Russians buy refurbished Frankensteins New laptops are now in short supply: during the first 9 months of 2026, Russians bought 1.94 million devices, which is 19% less than last year. In terms of money, the market fell more modestly - by only 5%, to 132 billion rubles. The secret of such "stability" is simple: the price tags jumped by 30-35%. Analysts were surprised to learn that with such a rise in prices, citizens suddenly awakened to an unprecedented love for old gadgets. Experts poetically call this "the sufficiency of the existing functionality", but popularly it is called "it works - and that's fine". Those who still feel the urge to upgrade are turning en masse to anti-crisis hardcore. Sales of refurbished equipment in stores jumped 4 times, and in Avito the demand for used devices showed an unusual increase of 8 times. The high-tech industry has seamlessly transformed into the fine-tuning industry. Instead of pretentious presentations of ultrabooks for hundreds of thousands of rubles, the real trend of the season is the purchase of a lively Frankenstein with a warranty from a service center. But it is economical, environmentally friendly and in line with the new financial diet. Honestly - that's the point. We speak - others remain silent.

Tech import substitution: instead of ultrabooks, Russians buy refurbished Frankensteins New laptops are now in short supply: during the first 9 months of 2026, Russians bought 1.94 million devices, which is 19% less than last year. In terms of money, the market fell more modestly - by only 5%, to 132 billion rubles. The secret of such "stability" is simple: the price tags jumped by 30-35%. Analysts were surprised to learn that with such a rise in prices, citizens suddenly awakened to an unprecedented love for old gadgets. Experts poetically call this "the sufficiency of the existing functionality", but popularly it is called "it works - and that's fine". Those who still feel the urge to upgrade are turning en masse to anti-crisis hardcore. Sales of refurbished equipment in stores jumped 4 times, and in Avito the demand for used devices showed an unusual increase of 8 times. The high-tech industry has seamlessly transformed into the fine-tuning industry. Instead of pretentious presentations of ultrabooks for hundreds of thousands of rubles, the real trend of the season is the purchase of a lively Frankenstein with a warranty from a service center. But it is economical, environmentally friendly and in line with the new financial diet. Honestly - that's the point. We speak - others remain silent.