He bought his new device abroad shortly after the Islamic republic banned 14 and 15 series iPhones in February 2023, hoping that the restrictions would eventually ease.
But they never did.
“I had network coverage for just a month but then it went away,” the 32-year-old told AFP, repeatedly pressing his phone’s power button to try to regain connectivity.
“I have to put it on lower 3G bands and maybe get coverage then.”
Under last year’s ban, users of the latest iPhone models are no longer allowed to register their devices in the country.
All individuals — including tourists — are required to register their phones with the authorities to be able to use local SIM cards for more than a month.
The ban has highlighted economic pressures Iran’s government has been grappling with in recent years, including international sanctions and soaring inflation.
According to a March 2023 report by the ISNA news agency, the authorities have said the measure was aimed at cutting back on foreign currency spending.
But iPhones from US firm Apple remain highly coveted devices in Iran, valued not just for their advanced technology but also as status symbols.
The official restrictions have inadvertently fuelled a lucrative underground market, with some vendors inflating the prices of older iPhone models that are easier to register.
Apple has never officially had a presence inside Iran because of US sanctions that were reimposed following Washington’s 2018 withdrawal from a landmark nuclear deal.
And the ban even sparked a scheme that allegedly scammed thousands of Iranians out of tens millions of dollars for cheap iPhones.
A company called “Koroush” for months offered iPhones for discounted prices as low as 200,000 million rials ($340) through online ads featuring celebrities.
It allegedly raised around $35 million, according to the daily newspaper Javan in February. Other media outlets, quoting the police, reported lower figures of more than $3 million.
The company’s owner is now on the run.
ISNA said that more than 5,000 people in Tehran and other cities have brought fraud cases against the company.
Those who sell iPhones in Iran say the scheme was just one way in which the ban has rattled the market.
“It has messed up the prices” of iPhone devices, said Navid, who owns a phone shop in central Tehran.
“It has also prevented customers from having a warranty for their overpriced phones,” he added.
