Reduced carrier subsidies increase sales of separate smartphones
Linked by Thom Holwerda on Fri 17th Aug 2012 22:48 UTC
PDAs, Cellphones, Wireless I always see The Netherlands - my home country - as a small, easily graspable version of other, larger and more important western countries and even the west as a whole. In light of this, Tweakers.net's Arnoud Wokke points to a very interesting report about the Dutch telecommunications market. This reports notes a trend that, if present in the rest of the world, could have serious effects for phone makers.
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RE: carrier subsidies are essential
by Timmmm on Sun 19th Aug 2012 11:30 UTC in reply to "carrier subsidies are essential"
Timmmm
Member since:
2006-07-25

They could offer a low interest loan ("financing") instead. That's essentially what they do anyway but they don't let you see the details which makes it harder to know if you are being ripped off.

Reply Parent Score: 2

Morgan Member since:
2005-06-29

T-Mobile USA does this. Based on your credit score (and from my understanding their policy is very liberal) they give you an interest-free loan to get a more expensive phone. Your payments are spread out over the first six or so monthly bills.

Of course, the reason they do this is obvious; they want to sell you the most expensive phone they can. I'm very careful with my credit so I declined that offer back when I first joined T-Mobile, and opted to buy a lesser phone with the cash I had on hand. I didn't regret it as I was very satisfied with the phone (BB Curve 8520).

Reply Parent Score: 2