Phone maker offers 42% discount to show ads

A budget smartphone maker is offering a bizarre deal that gives customers a 42% discount on a new device – if they agree to have adverts appear on their phone’s home screen. 

British-based company Wileyfox has discounts of up to £70 on its Swift 2, Spark X and Spark smartphones in exchange for Domino’s and Ministry of Sound adverts appearing when the user turns on their device, The Daily Telegraph reports.

However, the newspaper says, the adverts can be disabled by paying a one-time fee of £40, meaning it’s cheaper to buy the smartphone with the advert software and disable it at a later date. 

The devices are powered by the Android operating system, the paper adds, which is the same software used in high-end smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Essential Phone. 

According to Engadget, those who opt for the discount are asked to input their date of birth and specify whether they are male or female when setting up their phone. 

This information will be used to “tailor” the adverts you initially receive, the website says, which will then change over time depending on the ads you interact with and the ones you dismiss. 

However, Alphr says the concept of cheaper devices in exchange for adverts isn’t “entirely new”, as Amazon has offered a similar deal on its Kindle e-reader. Buyers can save £10 on a Kindle if they agree to view the occasional advert, the website says.