With the launch of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in India, several online as well as offline retailers have been offering multiple offers. Airtel is also advertising a rather unreal offer on its website. Airtel iPhone 7 offers can provide you the phone at a payment of just Rs 19,990 and Rs 30,792 respectively. Airtel’s Apple page has a headline, “Now Enjoy an iPhone 7 at just Rs 19,990 with Airtel Postpaid.”
However, the offer is available only to customers in Noida and Karnataka, according to the Airtel website. This plan is under “testing” in these regions and it is available only in Delhi and Bengaluru. Meanwhile, Airtel has issued the following official statement with respect to the said plans:
We understand that there is some confusion regarding two separate offers from Airtel on iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 plus.
There is a special 10 GB per month free additional data offer with any Airtel Infinity plan with iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 plus. The offer is open for all customers and is very much active.
There is also a device lease plan, which is being piloted for employees of select enterprise customers, and this offer is also very much active.
In the interest of customers and to avoid any further confusion, relevant changes are being made to the website. These will reflect shortly.
But of course, the offer comes with some conditions. It is similar to the contracts offered in the US. To be eligible for the offer, you will need to opt-in for any one of the following yearly Airtel plans. At the end of the 12 months, customers are eligible to return the iPhone 7 / 7 Plus and upgrade to the latest iPhone next year.
The Airtel iPhone 7 offers are as follows:
- Rs 1,999 plan – 5GB data + Unlimited calling (local/STD/roaming- mobile + fixed line)
- Rs 2,499 plan – 10GB data + Unlimited calling (local/STD/roaming- mobile + fixed line)
- Rs 2,999 plan – 15GB data + Unlimited calling (local/STD/roaming- mobile + fixed line)
You will be required to make the minimum down payment – ranging from Rs 19,990 to Rs 43,792 depending on the model you select – and the rest shall be paid for by your Bajaj Finance Ltd (BFL) EMI plans at 0 percent interest rate.
This is valid for customers who will return the iPhone in the 13th month to upgrade. For those users who plan to continue with the iPhone 7 / 7 Plus, a Balloon payment will be auto-debited from their BFL plans. After you pay the Balloon payment amount, you become the owner of the iPhone 7 / 7 Plus.
During this one year period, customers will not be able to port to another network, switch to non-‘iPhone for Life’ plans (either postpaid or prepaid), terminate the services, or transfer ownership of neither the plan nor the iPhone to someone else. However, customers have the option to foreclose the loan from Bajaj Finance by paying the charges that the company levies.
Assuming you opt for the cheapest option of Airtel iPhone 7 offers, you’ll pay Rs 19,990 as down payment, Rs 26,000 as part of your monthly plan and Rs 24,000 as a balloon payment. This brings your total up to Rs 70,000 if you purchase the device after the contract is up. If you don’t want to purchase the phone and would like to upgrade, you will have only spent Rs 46,000 on the phone.
You can either return the phone after 12 months to upgrade to a new phone or you may continue with your iPhone 7 and terminate the contract after paying the Balloon Payment amount.
“The EMIs shall form part of the bill amount under the Plan. Thereafter, BFL will debit the remaining outstanding amount (‘Balloon Payment’) from your account and your contract with Airtel for the Plan will terminate and your loan with BFL will be closed,” says Airtel.
In order to terminate your contract before 12 months, you will need to foreclose your Bajaj Finance loan and carry an NOC to your nearest Airtel store. After that you can switch to any Airtel plan of your liking.
Post the 12 months of the plan, customers will be required to visit their Airtel stores within 30 days. If this is missed then Bajaj Finance will auto-debit the concerned Balloon Payment account depending on the model, from your bank.
After the completion of one year, you can either change your plans, or if you are not sure which plan you want to opt for, you will get the following discounts on current plans. Rs 1,999 will reduce to Rs 1,199 rental; Rs 2,499 will reduce to Rs 1,599 rental and Rs 2,999 will reduce to Rs 1,999 rental.
However, Airtel has not mentioned the charges, if any, will be levied to ‘iPhone for Life’ subscribers who want to upgrade to next year’s iPhone. Moreover, Airtel has the option to refuse the upgrade to users who have damaged the iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus units given to them under this plan. Users can be refused an upgrade if the iPhone unit given to them is returned with damaged or missing part, heavy wear and tear, or non-standard components.
In order to upgrade or return the iPhone 7 or 7 Plus, customers have to visit an Airtel store within 30 days of the completion of their year-long rental period. They can then also decide to go for another postpaid plan; if they do not state which postpaid plan they wish to subscribe to, Airtel will continue with their existing plan, but at a lower rate. According to Airtel’s website, the Rs. 1,999 plan would then cost Rs. 1,199, the Rs 2,499 plan would go down to Rs 1,599, and the charges for the Rs 2,999 plan will become Rs 1,999 per month.
This year’s iPhone models come in three storage variants – 32GB, 128GB, and 256GB. The 32GB iPhone 7 has been priced at Rs. 60,000, while the 128GB iPhone 7 has been priced at Rs. 70,000, and the 256GB iPhone 7 has been priced at Rs. 80,000. The 32GB iPhone 7 Plus has been priced at Rs. 72,000, the 128GB iPhone 7 Plus has been priced at Rs. 82,000, while the 256GB iPhone 7 Plus has been priced at Rs. 92,000.
Airtel states that only phones which are in working conditions, without any physical damage will be accepted by stores. Airtel has detailed the device return guidelines in detail on its website.
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