Amazon’s “Prime Exclusive” phones always seemed like a tantalizing deal, because if you were already a Prime subscriber, you could save $25, $50, $100, or more on handsets from well-known manufacturers like LG and Motorola. But until now, there was always a catch, because those savings came with lock screen ads and offers that Amazon installed on its discounted phones.
Starting February 7th, Amazon says it is doing away with those ads entirely. New Prime Exclusive phones will ship without lock screen ads and offers, though you will still get a handful of pre-installed Amazon apps, while existing devices should receive an update that will disable the annoying offers.
For those curious what the new catch might be now that the ads are going, right now, it’s not clear if there is one, aside from the fact that you need to be a Prime subscriber to take advantage of the deals. According to Phone Scoop, devices sold without ads will get a $20 price increase. We’ve reached out to Amazon for confirmation.
In some cases, signing up for a year of Prime could pay for itself if you were to buy a phone like the LG G6+, which has an MSRP of $800, but only goes for $500 as part of Amazon’s program.
Currently, Amazon’s lineup consists of a handful of devices from LG, Nokia, and Motorola, but previously it has also included handsets from Alcatel, Blu and others, so it’s probably safe to say that Amazon will continue to update its offerings as new models hit the market.