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Moto G Play Joins Amazon's Ad-subsidized Prime Exclusive Phones Program For $99 (betanews.com)
An anonymous reader writes: Amazon continues to leverage advertisements with its 'Prime Exclusive Phones' program. This allows consumers to get a discounted Android phone in exchange for seeing ads on the lock screen. It is a great way for shoppers to save money, while Amazon makes money from the ads -- win/win. Today, a new phone joins the program for a mere $99 -- the Moto G Play. It even works on all four of the major USA carriers, including Verizon!The company announced the first phone in this series in June. The company had offered a $50 off on each Blu Phone and the Moto G.
At least this phones will get constant updates just to keep the advertising revenue flowing. You know to prevent backdoors from being used to remove the ads. Financial motive to keep the underlying Android OS updated.
loose / win
"This Slashvertisement brought to you by Amazon, and the Moto G Play! It's win-win!"
Let's summarize: the ad-free version of the G4-play goes for 149USD (99USD, Prime ad version). Comes with 16GB RAM, 8MP camera and a Qualcomm 410. However, the base version of the G4 goes for the same prive on amazon (either version) and comes with the same 16GB RAM, better 13MP camera and a Qualcomm 627. Can anybody explain to me what's Amazon/Lenovo's thinking?
The ads are easy to remove, so it's a pretty good deal.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/android/software/debloater-remove-carrier-bloat-t2998294
otherwise they wouldnt be doing this....
and fifty bucks off a phone is NOT NEARLY enough, not by a long shot. if you want me to look at ads on the lock screen of a device that gets used dozens of times a day, is always in my hand or very close by, and will be choking on trackers and snooping apps and processes, you have to not only GIVE me the phone, but also pay for the damn phone plan besides, AND give me half your gross ad revenues... then and only then would i even consider it.
This allows consumers to get a discounted Android phone in exchange for seeing ads on the lock screen. It is a great way for shoppers to save money, while Amazon makes money from the ads -- win/win
Ad spending in the US was $200billion in 2016, for a US labor force of 160mil. That's basically an annual $1200 tax on everyone for the privilege of having ads shoved in their faces.
Win / win / lose.
It's "Win" for Amazon, "Win" for consumers who get a subsidized phone, and "Lose" for consumers who pay money for advertising that gets siphoned off into the advertising middle-men and a small fraction of it trickles back down to consumers.
And hey, as tagged advertising gets better and better, reaching its final form where it only hits people who make a purchase, then each consumer will get the joy of subsidizing their own phone as well as the ad industry execs who piggy-back on top!
Well they had malware, and they had a rootkit, and they have had security issues. Now they are trying ads in their phones. Boy I wouldn't touch Lenovo with a ten foot pole.
Is there anything preventing these phones from being wiped, installing a stock G4 image without ads and/or another custom ROM? Does it have some obnoxious locked bootloader or something?