Airtel now financing Nokia Android smartphones on easy bill plans

Airtel has started offering Nokia smartphones via its online store. Airtel is offering Nokia’s latest smartphones including the Nokia 6.1, Nokia 7 plus & Nokia 8 Sirocco. You do not need to pay the full cost of the device upfront. Instead, you are charged a monthly bill which varies as per the actual cost of the handset. It is similar to purchasing the phone on EMI, however, instead of paying the interest, you subscribe to a monthly postpaid plan which gives you calling & data benefits.

The business model is similar (not identical) to the phones offered on carrier contract in US & other countries. Sure, you can have the phone cheaper if you pay the full amount upfront. If you want to buy a new phone and are also willing to spend well on a phone plan, then these offers are the best bet. On the other hand, if you are a conservative user with limited spend on phone bill, then these financing offers will look a bit overpriced to you.

Cost calculation – Does it make sense?

Airtel is presently offering 3 Nokia smartphones via its online store. With each phone, you pay a different down payment. The postpaid plan also varies based on the smartphone that you choose. So, Airtel tries to keep a balance between the down payment & plan offered. Here’s a quick cost comparison to help you make your decision.

Nokia 6.1 3GB & 4GB [aka Nokia 6 (2018)]

The current market price of Nokia 6.1 is 16,999 for the 3GB RAM variant. The 4GB RAM and 64GB storage variant costs Rs. 18,999. Airtel is offering these phones at the price of Rs. 3,799 and 5,799. The rest of the device cost + usage charges are distributed evenly into the Rs. 1,499 monthly plan for 12 months.

Airtel offers 30GB data + unlimited calling and roaming with the 1,499 monthly plan for Nokia 6.1. Airtel is also offering a free subscription to Airtel TV till 31st December 2018.

As per the calculations above, you can have the Nokia 6.1 for approximately Rs. 399 of extra charges per month.

Nokia 7 plus

Similar to the Nokia 6.1, Airtel is also offering the Nokia 7 plus on easy financing options. The market price of Nokia 7 plus is Rs. 25,999 (excluding any special discounts). Airtel store is selling the 7 plus for Rs. 5,599 along with a monthly plan of Rs. 2,099.

Airtel provides 30GB  of data along with unlimited calling and roaming with the Rs. 2,099 plan for Nokia 7 plus. Users are also untitled to Airtel TV subscription till 31st December.

As we saw with the Nokia 6.1, Airtel is charging the same monthly excess of Rs. 399 to provide you with unlimited calling and 30GB data with the Nokia 7 plus.

Nokia 8 Sirocco

Nokia 8 Sirocco is Nokia’s premium or flagship level offering. It is priced at Rs. 49,999 in the Indian market. However, Airtel is selling the device for a nominal down payment of Rs. 8,599. You are required to subscribe to the monthly plan of Rs. 2,799 for at least 18 months to avail the financing.

Airtel offers a higher data limit of 50GB per month along with free calls and roaming. Airtel also offers free Handset Damage Protection for 12 months.

As we can see from the above calculation, Airtel is charging Rs. 499 per month on the Nokia 8 Sirocco. But for the charge, Airtel is offering 50GB of monthly data and free calling.

Do note that GST is not accounted while making the above calculations. There will a slight change in the overall cost when you include the 18% GST charged by the GOI.

Conclusion

Airtel’s financing options via the Airtel shop are a convenient and effortless way to get good smartphones on a monthly billing plan. They make the expensive phones affordable to everybody, even those working for a lower monthly salary. It is great to see Airtel offering Nokia smartphones which are promised to be supported for multiple years with regular Android and security updates.

The offer is available to both prepaid and postpaid customers of Airtel. The condition, however, is that Prepaid customers should switch to postpaid plan while availing the smartphone financing.