Said It Here

Should I finance a phone or buy it outright?

Buying a phone outright keeps the device completely unlocked and avoids taking on new debt, which some people prefer to avoid entirely even at 0% interest. However, financing or leasing through a carrier can lower upfront costs, though it often ties you down with carrier lock-in restrictions.

What people tried

Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.

  1. 1
    Buying phones outright with cash
  2. 2
    Using traditional 0% financing for 24 months instead of leasing
  3. 3
    Purchasing used phones outright
  4. 4
    Keeping devices for 4 to 6 years without recurring payments

In their words

Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.

“So why wouldn't you always lease Apple products?”source ↗

larryinthesky · r/personalfinance · 77 upvotes

“Some people really hate the idea of owing money, even in a 0% situation.”source ↗

“Some people need features like unlocked phones, and that oftens require that you own it outright.”source ↗

crazywidget · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

Where this came up

r/personalfinancedebt managementpersonal finance

People with this problem also raised