Amazon's Prime Exclusive Phones Are Worth Buying Now

As anyone who's purchased a Kindle or Fire tablet knows, opting to let Amazon display ads on your lock screen can save you a bundle. It's a practice the company carried over to its Prime Exclusive phones. Even with the ads, these unlocked handsets were already a decent deal for Prime members — especially when the major carriers have begun locking devices again.
Recently, Amazon announced it's taking the ads off these phones. Should you pick up one of these devices? Read on to find out more.
No More Lock Screen Ads
Some users claimed lock screen ads were not a big inconvenience, especially considering the lower cost of the phones. However, Amazon has decided to do away with those ads, opting instead to raise the price of its Prime Exclusive phones by $20. Previously, you had to pay a $50 fee to take the ads off. What's more, Amazon is offering a $50 credit to anyone who previously paid to remove the ads from their device.
So why is Amazon dropping the ads? The megaretailer apparently wants to make it easier to use different unlocking technologies. With facial recognition and fingerprint scanners being implemented on more devices, lock screens were already becoming outdated. Furthermore, removing the ads will allow customers to customize their lock screens — that feature was previously blocked in order to leave room for the ads.
Prime Phones Can Be a Lot Cheaper
Our research suggests that Amazon's Prime Exclusive phones are usually a good buy, but there are caveats. For example, some of the models Amazon sells are only the cheapest because they aren't available anywhere else. Still, this is a very appealing way to buy a new unlocked phone, as opposed to browsing the refurbs on eBay.
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One instance where Amazon definitely wins is the LG G6. Outside of Black Friday specials, we've seen Amazon offer this device for around $400. Even with the changes to the program tacking on another $20, it's still far cheaper than buying this device through the major carriers.
For instance, the next best deal is at Sprint, where you'll pay $480 as of this article's writing. T-Mobile charges $550, AT&T charges $585, and Verizon commands a whopping $672. If you're in the market for an unlocked phone and you have Prime, you should definitely check out Amazon before you buy a phone through your carrier.
Readers, what do you think about Amazon's Prime Exclusive phones? Are you happy they're doing away with the ads? Let us know in the comments below.

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