Recommended reading

Pay For Your OnePlus Smartphone In Installments, Carrier-Free

News
By published

OnePlus announced that U.S. customers can now pay for their OnePlus phones with a new installment program.

OnePlus’ smartphones have proven popular alternatives to more expensive flagship devices such as the highest-end offerings from Apple, Samsung, HTC and LG, but even at relatively low prices -- $349 for the OnePlus 2 and just $249 for the OnePlus X -- not everyone can come up the scratch up front.

With the new installment program, customers need to pay only $99 up front using Paypal’s Paypal Credit service. Users then have monthly payments of $22.60 on a 24-month plan for the OnePlus 2, or $16.12 for 18 months for the OnePlus X. At any time during the payment period, the user can pay off the phone completely.

Mobile carriers have been using installment plans to sell mobile phones for years now, so this concept isn’t anything new, but OnePlus’ installment program does have one major advantage: Phones purchased through OnePlus on the installment plan are not restricted to any one carrier, so users are free to switch to a competing mobile service while still paying for the phone. This keeps you from being locked down, and with pre-paid mobile plans, it lets you jump to less expensive or more feature-rich services at any time.

Follow Michael Justin Allen Sexton @EmperorSunLao. Follow us on Facebook, Google+, RSS, Twitter and YouTube.

TOPICS
Michael Justin Allen Sexton
Michael Justin Allen Sexton is a Contributing Writer for Tom's Hardware US. He covers hardware component news, specializing in CPUs and motherboards.
4 Comments Comment from the forums
  • targetdrone
    Do these phone support every band deployed and under deployment in the US?
    Reply
  • shrapnel_indie
    Mobile carriers have been using installment plans to sell mobile phones for years now, so this concept isn’t anything new

    True, and now... carriers have decided to just lease the devices instead of selling them in the past year.

    but OnePlus’ installment program does have one major advantage: Phones purchased through OnePlus on the installment plan are not restricted to any one carrier, so users are free to switch to a competing mobile service while still paying for the phone.

    This is great... in theory... as carriers (looking at you SPRINT) have reserved the right to not accept phones that haven't been tested on their networks, by them. (Yeah, that means your flagship model from a competing carrier, even if it is carrier unlocked, won't be accepted by your carrier.)

    I just hope these OnePlus phones aren't blacklisted by carriers in this fashion. We need more competition.
    Reply
  • zoenphlux
    This is like those same Furniture and Electronic stores that let you rent to own. If those numbers are right you will end up paying a LOT of interest. Someone correct me if I'm wrong here.

    OnePlus2 Retail 349. On payments you pay 99 + 22.60 x 24 = 641.40$ If this was a loan it would be 250$ @ 89% for 24 months. Ouch!

    OnePlusX Retail 249. On payments you pay 99 + 16.12 x 18 = 389.16$ If this was a loan it would be 150$ @ 97.2% for 18 months.....holy cow!

    Nice way to take advantage of people who don't have a couple hundred extra. This is normal for people to do, and wonder why we don't have the extra 250$ to start with. Stupid....
    Reply
  • misousa
    22,60x24=542,40 + 99 = 641,4$ for a phone that costs 349$. That is way to expensive.
    Reply