Vodafone offers three year payment options for smartphones on BYO plans

Vodafone over the weekend introduced a new offer allowing customers on month-to-month SIM only plans buy a smartphone outright and pay it off over the course of as many as three years.

Customers purchasing a smartphone outright through Vodafone will have the option to pay for it in monthly instalments over 6, 12, 18, 24 or 36 months, interest free. While the phone is not subsidised as with a typical telco contract, the device in question isn't billed above retail price. Whether a customer chooses to pay for it over six months or three years, they still pay the same amount.

Vodafone provided the following example pricing:

16 GB iPhone 6s Plus outright: AUD$1080
Over 6 months: AUD$180 per month
Over 12 months: AUD$90 per month
Over 18 months: AUD$60 per month
Over 24 months: AUD$45 per month
Over 36 months: AUD$30 per month

Customers are required to purchase one month of Vodafone's SIM only service to take advantage of this offer. Vodafone's SIM only plans start at AUD$30 per month.

All phones sold through this offer are unlocked.

"With many popular smartphones costing more than $1000 when purchasing outright, we believe many customers will welcome the choice to spread the cost of their new phone over a period of time rather than upfront," said Vodafone Sales Director Ben McIntosh.

"Vodafone is committed to putting our most popular smartphones within reach of customers."

While purchasing a smartphone on a traditional contract can be cheaper overall, a "bring your own device" SIM only plan can often represent better value for customers. Customers are typically locked into their inclusions when on a contract, while SIM only customers who pay month-to-month are able to take advantage of better offers as they become available.