Amazon to sell half-price Android phones with only one catch: adverts

You could get up to 50 per cent off your next handset if you don’t mind lockscreen adverts

(AFP)

If you’re looking for a discount on your next smartphone, Amazon is offering you one but it comes with a catch: adverts. The online retailer has announced that soon it will be selling select unlocked Android phones to its Prime customers for up to 50 per cent off their selected retail price. However, the deal is only for customers who are willing to accept that the handsets will come with pre-installed apps and lockscreen adverts.

For the moment the offer only includes two smartphone models which are already known for their low prices. The first is the BLU R1 HD which will sell for $49.99 instead of $99.99 and the second is the newest Motorola Moto G smartphone which will cost $149.99 instead of $199.99.

Amazon already offers subsidised prices for ad-enabled devices in its Kindle e-readers and its Fire tablets, but this is the first time it’s brought this special offer feature to non-Amazon devices. If customers should decide to opt for these more affordable prices, they can expect full-screen lockscreen ads replacing the standard background similar to those found on the Kindle range, as well as smaller ads that will appear like notifications alongside your real notifications.

The ads themselves will take the form of personalised offers from Amazon as well as from third-party marketers and although the ads can be swiped away once you’ve decided you’re not interested, more will appear and the frequency can’t be controlled.

In addition to the ads, the handsets will come with a selection of Amazon apps already installed including Amazon Video, Amazon Music, Prime Now, and Kindle. Users won’t have to keep the apps on their homescreen but they won’t be able to uninstall them from the phone itself.

“Customers love the freedom of unlocked phones—it’s the fastest growing category within cell phones on Amazon.com—so we set out to find a way to make them even more affordable for our Prime members,” said Laura Orvidas, the Vice President of Consumer Electronics at Amazon.com. “We currently offer low prices supported by lockscreen offers and ads on our Fire tablets and Kindle e-readers, and they’ve been a hit—in fact, the vast majority of customers choose the lower-priced option. Now we’re lowering prices in a similar way on new, unlocked smartphones, working with two of our best-selling brands, BLU and Motorola.“

It’s not a bad deal if you’re not averse to adverts and already subsribe to Amazon Prime. Although Amazon hasn't released any firm data on how well the special offer scheme has performed on its own devices it can't be going too badly if it's now rolling it out on a wider scale. A major downside is that the addition of bloatware does negate one of the big benefits and freedoms of purchasing an unlocked phone.

The scheme is currently only available to US customers who can pre-order the discounted handsets for their release on July 12. There’s no news as to whether the scheme will launch in the UK.