Gadgets that are now allowed to import into Russia. On examples

It has been exactly one month since our brokers confirmed that at customs they no longer require notification of electronics. Now we see that the parcels with the gadgets pass, even if their contents were previously considered “prohibited”. But they still ask us every day whether we can bring one or another product that is sold abroad. We constantly have to answer in social networks and in tickets on the site (by the way, we completely understand the people - the rules change so often that we don’t keep track). Let's try to make out the question here. So, to make it clear what opportunities have now been opened, and why the FSB used to require information from manufacturers of electronic devices. Well, we want to share the comic nature of this whole situation.

Essential Phone

One of the most high- end smartphones of the summer in the United States. Nevertheless, the product is niche, for Android fans, the manufacturer did not bother importing it to Russia and registering with the FSB. Therefore, until January 2018 it was illegal to bring it into the country. Now it has become legal, thanks to the decision of the EAEU commission, approved in December, simplifying the procedure for importing “means for encryption”.

By the way, Essential did not become an iPhone or Google Pixel competitor, despite the optimism of Artemy Lebedev and Andy Rubin. Sold it an order of magnitude less than the same "pixels": only 90 thousand. On February 22, versions in new colors are released, for which the company has high hopes: after all, design is one of the main features of the device, along with the stock android.

Feitian ePass Security Key

Hardware key two-factor authentication - the type that is usually done via a smartphone ( you can read here ). A little thing that plugs into a USB port and unlocks sites on Google and Firefox that support U2F. For example, Google Docs or Dropbox. Worth $ 17 on Amazon. Theoretically, such a key fell under the “Electronic ID Cards” or “Electronic Digital Signature Tools”, so it was very risky to try to deliver it. Both items from January are allowed to be imported without notification by a new list.

Nest Cam IQ, Nest Thermostat

Cam Cam IQ is one of the top gadgets in 2017 according to The Guardian. Automatically detects people inside or outside the house, recognizes their faces and sends video live on the host’s smartphone if they see someone unfamiliar. Infrared vision, talking speaker and rotation on multiple axes. Just like Orwell.

The only problem is that Nest is a subsidiary of Google. If you remember, because of the ban on selling it to Amazon, a scandal recently broke out . Similarly, with the smart thermostat Nest Thermostat , which saves energy on heating. Google is constantly having problems with Russia, and the company was not in a hurry to register its gadgets with the FSB. It was impossible to bring such a camera to Russia through customs. Now you can, even without any gestures from Google.

Hoover Linx Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner

Surrealism, of course. Why were vacuum cleaners banned? What kind of information could spies extract with vacuum cleaners? Maybe someday the FSB will reveal its brilliant plan. But from this January, the enemies of the country can buy vacuum cleaners in bundles and bring them into the country to vilely clean everything up to shine.

As an example of a very popular vacuum cleaner, to which, however, no one has made notifications for Russia, we can give one of the latest Hoover models for $ 149. The best stick vacuum according to Cnet. In work, as they say, it shows itself better than others, although the design is average.

Linksys AC1750 router

Entered the Best Products 2017 list. Cool stuff for $ 129 with Wi-Fi speeds up to 1.7 Gb / s, parental controls, guest passwords, smartphone settings and support for Alexa (which, by the way, was also impossible to import to the country). All routers and wireless modems required notification, because data is transmitted with their help. It was especially dangerous with such advanced devices that have no analogues in the Russian Federation. For their transportation even gray companies did not take the risk. Now their delivery has become absolutely legal.

Google Clips Camera

Google does not like working in Russia, and reluctantly submitted documents for its notification for its new gadgets. But for the newest device, AI-camera Clips , which went on sale less than a month ago, the notification is no longer needed. Clips is able to keep track of everything that happens in her 130-degree field of view and records seven-second clips of what she finds interesting. Over time, the device remembers faces and tries to take more pictures of “familiar” people and fewer pictures of passersby. The same AI also applies to animals: over time, he learns to "clip" any new movements of your pets, and does not react to third-party cats and dogs.

For photo and video cameras, no notification was required before. But Clips could be assessed as a means of storing information - because all the frames there are in the internal memory, access to which can only be obtained via a smartphone. In addition, data is transmitted via Wi-Fi, and any device that can do this is automatically entered into the "cryptographic" list before.

Electric Toothbrush

Again, do not ask. We have no idea why toothbrushes were banned. Who has a guess? All that we know is that they have quietly imported them through the last month, and we no longer need to refuse all those who wanted to take a slightly more powerful and advanced brush in the US than usual.

Oral B, Philips and other common brands have issued their products. But the lesser-known in the country was not to make. Leepra, Shaojier or, for example, Sonicool Sonic . Devices cost $ 30- $ 35 from Amazon. Waterproof (you can brush your teeth in the shower), with USB charging, three or four modes of operation. Simple quality devices, nothing supernatural. Why did the Russian FCS find fault with them?

Maybe the reason was that some electric brushes can connect to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. This is considered a way to encrypt data - it means to ban! The vast majority of brushes, like the same Sonic, are not capable of this. But then to prove to customs, why your device is not in the register of notified , - the occupation was clearly not worth it. It was easier to buy some other model in the domestic store, even if it would cost one and a half times more expensive.

Monoblock Lenovo IdeaCentre AIO 520S-23

We remember that we asked him a couple of months ago, and had to refuse. What is the most annoying, in Ukraine this has long been sold without problems. The device with a 23-inch display, Intel Core i7-7500U processor, Intel HD Graphics 620 video adapter, 8 GB DDR4 RAM, 1 TB hard drive. The best value for money among monoblocks according to reviewers . In America, Amazon has a new $ 799 . In Russia, Lenovo itself now seems to have started selling it (or at least taking orders). She has a price of 61,000 rubles ($ 1080).

The same story - with a PC, laptops, tablets, handheld computers, keyboards and mice, processors, motherboards, hard drives, video cards. All of them, like monoblocks, used to require notification. Now the freshest abroad can be taken without risk (only better that they fit in € 1000, so as not to pay a fee).

Scanning radio Whistler WS1065

Well, at least it's more or less logical. All radio receivers, antennas and radio remote controls were banned without prior notification by the manufacturer of the Federal Security Service and their components and characteristics. Even if they were imported for personal use. Suddenly, someone will listen to the police, the presidential guard or specials. service? At least these are not toothbrushes.

But, again, as a result, the best gadget (according to some magazines ) in Russia is not even bought. This cool thing is sold only abroad - from $ 250. In the US, this is used to connect to whatever frequencies — for example, the frequencies of “hurricane hunters” —to know what happens to a natural disaster in your area. Digital scanner, that is, it works, for example, with a PC under Windows. Nobody was going to sell such to Russia until the law of the Eurasian Economic Commission canceled the mandatory notification.

What's left

Of course, part of the restrictions on the delivery of foreign online stores remains even after January-2018. Until now, batteries cannot be ordered abroad (without the device itself); tobacco, including for hookah; spirits and aerosols (may explode in flight). Bulbs, seedlings, seeds and in general any plants. Flea collars. Themselves fleas (and indeed all living things). Money and coins. And also everything that can be used for the deployment of hostilities: weapons and cartridges, thermal imagers, crossbows and bows, drones and quadcopters, even first-aid kits. The full list of "banned" is quite large, you can read it here . But gadgets for the most part are now excluded from it.

Also, by the way, in the last couple of months we have been increasingly faced with the return of parcels sent to Russia via USPS and containing containers with liquids. Ketchup bottles, shampoos, soda water. Sometimes even empty USPS bottles without giving a reason for returning from sorting in New York. These goods are not prohibited from being shipped officially, but we cannot influence the US Federal Postal Service and are forced to obey. Most other postal services now, too, have ceased to miss more than 2-3 bottles of 0.2-0.3 liters, even if they are well packaged. Not only Russian rules are sometimes surprising.

PS If you need to order something from the USA - please contact us. For the delivery of a pound, we take from $ 8.99 . We are able to combine parcels. We give you a personal address in the USA. And if you register with us with the code Geektimes, you will be credited $ 7.