14 DAY TRIAL // Android phone maker Wileyfox is giving consumers the chance to get their devices substantially cheaper as part of a program that puts ads on their lock screens in exchange for big discounts.
Called Add-X, the new offering comes in the form of an add-on that runs on devices enrolled in the program and which enable discounts up to 43 percent should ads be displayed on the lock screen.
The company says the ads showing up on the lock screen won’t be intrusive in any way, as essential information like date, time, notifications, shortcuts, and anything else would still be displayed. Device performance won’t be affected, Wileyfox guarantees, and impact on data is negligible, as it eats up less than 20MB per month.
It costs $55 to remove the ads
There won’t be any ads for adult content or money-lending companies, and only users older than 18 will get to see ads for alcohol brands.
“Protecting customer data is a priority. No customer data is shared with any advertisers or other parties. Customer profiling data is only used to tailor the customer experience. If a consumer swipes left to engage with the ad or offer, that interaction is with the brand directly, so the consumer can choose how much data they want to share with the brand,” the firm says.
In case you’re thinking of buying the device with a discount and then remove the add-on to get rid of the ads, you won’t be able to do that, as the company will control everything with updates. For example, if you want to remove the ads from the lock screen, you can do so for a $55 fee, after which the company will ship an update to your device in just a few hours to complete the process.
You can find out the devices available with a discount as part of the Add-X program on Wileyfox’s website, as offers go live on December 6 in the United Kingdom.