Russia could get the 3G Apple (AAPL) iPhone as early as October of this year. According to Reuters, the Cupertino, CA-based co. has agreed on the sale of iPhones with Russia’s largest mobile operator - Mobile TeleSystems (MBT).

Apple iPhone 3G, now a viable computing platform and this year’s iconic technological revelation - is already available in 22 countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and the US. India is going to get the iPhone through Bharti Airtel at the stroke of midnight on August 21, as country’s mobile subscriber base gets set to almost double to 500 million by 2010.

Apple Inc., and Mobile TeleSystems have so far declined to comment on these reports in the media.

Since its initial launch, iphone remains a contrivance in high-demand. Retailers around the world sold out on July 11, and in following weeks.

Nationally, according to SFGate, many Apple stores and AT&T retail outlets are still having a hard time keeping the hot gadget on store shelves. High demand, combined with the fact that the 3G iPhone can not be purchased online - are the main factors leading to the shortage of units. Analysts however predict the shortage should ease with the phone’s premiere in more than 900 Best Buy stores across the nation on Sept. 7.

Gene Munster, notes SFGate - a senior research analyst with Piper Jaffray, predicts that Apple will sell 1.78 million phones at its U.S. retail stores, and 900,000 at U.S. AT&T locations by the end of the year.

iPhone is embedded with all 3G features, has in-built GPS system and is twice as fast as the existing mobile phones.