Amazon has started offering slashed prices on selected unlocked phones with ads

If you have ever shopped around for a Kindle in the US or UK, then you are surely in the know about Amazon's special offers deals. It is quite simple really - you get the device at a reduced price and in return, Amazon gets to put some advertisements on it.

Overall it is quite a good deal, as the online giant does really try to make said adds quite relevant and not that intrusive. Now, in a new move, Amazon is attempting to expand the special offers program on to SIM-free mobile devices, which it sells quite a bit of as it is.

The program has already launched within the US with a pair of devices - the BLU R1 HD and the Moto G4. Both come with a $50 price reduction, which brings down the BLU R1 HD to just $49.99 and the Moto G4 to $149.99 (or $179.99 for the bigger 32GB version). As an additional launch promo, Amazon is even offering an extra $25 off the Moto today, for paying Prime members, which adds up to $124.99.

And, as already mentioned, the only downside is that the units will come with deals and ads on the lockscreen. However, judging from the screenshots, they look quite unobtrusive. The only other catch we can think off is the potential of losing vital storage space, as Amazon also mentions that there will be some bloat pre-installed as well, possibly even as system apps. But, none of that is really that big of a hustle if you root the device.

The breakthrough pricing on unlocked smartphones is supported by personalized offers and ads, including deals and product recommendations, displayed on the phone’s lockscreen. When a customer sees an offer, they can tap to learn more about it or simply unlock their phone to dismiss.

The whole initiative does look very promising and could potentially give Amazon a big edge on the SIM-free smartphone market. Hopefully, this initial field test will prove a success and will lead to many more "special offers" devices on the site.

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