How much did Chinese smartphones get more expensive?

You feel the difference most when you look not at the absolute numbers, but at what you used to get for your money - a flagship - versus what you get now, which is only a mid-range phone. On top of the exchange rate, there are customs fees and logistics added in, and that hits the wallet way harder than the price increase at the manufacturing stage itself.

The main thing I'd say is don't fall for the discounts and sales they're pushing hard right now! It looks like the price dropped, but really it's just an inflated starting price that they slash later. Yeah, you'll end up overpaying, especially if you're going for current models, but sometimes it's worth catching a good deal during a promo or checking out the previous generation instead - the prices have already settled there and you can save quite a bit!

Instead of looking at Russian prices, try comparing the same model across different countries - it's often cheaper in neighboring ones. From my search experience, the price increase is real, but it's not the same across the board: some models went up just a tiny bit, while the premium segment has a much bigger markup. And I totally agree about the discounts - they're often fake, but sometimes you do find decent deals if you catch them right when a new model comes out or at the end of the sale season.

If you've already decided on a specific model, make sure to check whether it's been discontinued from official service in Russia - a lot of Chinese brands keep expanding and then cutting back their support. You'll buy it at a cheaper price, but then the warranty turns out to be useless or you'll have to ship the phone abroad for repairs, which ends up costing more than any price hike. Yeah, prices have gone up, and that's a fact, but dealing with warranty and service often turns out to be trickier than just the price itself.