The most popular online store AliExpress hides many secrets on how to buy household appliances, gadgets and accessories for literally one ruble.
We figured it out, and now we’ll tell you. The main thing you need to do first is install it on your smartphone mobile application AliExpress [download from the App Store] and register in it.
What is the advantage of the AliExpress iPhone app?
Honor 7C. For rational students
A people's smartphone that boasts a nice 5.7-inch IPS display protected by 2.5D glass, dual camera, NFC module, 3.5 mm audio jack and a tray for placing two SIM cards and microSD.
The device works under Android control Oreo coupled with branded shell EMUI 8.0.
Doogee X53. For picky students
An excellent budget solution.
The smartphone boasts a normal design for its money, a simple but large 5.3-inch display, a slot for two SIM cards and a dual camera.
ZTE Blade A2S. For those who need fingerprint security
Elegant smartphone with a large 5.2-inch display, fingerprint sensor on back cover devices. The heart of the smartphone is the powerful eight-core MT6753 chip.
Meizu M6T. For those who want to buy the hottest fashion news of 2018
The device may surprise you with its durable polycarbonate body, large 5.7-inch display with an 18:9 aspect ratio and the presence of a fingerprint scanner.
The camera in the smartphone, as it should be in 2018, is double. The main module has a resolution of 13.0 MP and a lens with an f/2.2 aperture.
Xiaomi Redmi 6A. For selfie lovers
One of the best budget solutions on the market. With a normal 5.45 inch display with an aspect ratio of 18:9, an adequate 13 MP main camera and 5 MP front camera. Thanks to the latter, you can take a cool portrait photo, a whole set of filters and a special Beautify mode will help with this.
The smartphone itself runs Android 8.1 with the proprietary MIUI 9.5 shell.
About the promotion - subscribers are invited to receive samsung smartphone Galaxy J120 for just one ruble when you subscribe to a certain tariff. Today we will talk about how it works, what results it can bring and how to implement such a project without errors.
Why does the operator need this?
To receive a smartphone on such favorable terms, users will have to connect a converged MGTS tariff. It costs 700 rubles per month and allows you to receive fixed Internet access at a speed of 150 Mbit/s, 20 GB mobile traffic and 500 minutes of calls. After two years of using the services, the phone becomes the property of the owner.
At the same time, if the user decides to refuse part of MGTS services or change the tariff, he will have to pay an additional 349 rubles per month for using the smartphone until the end of two years. If the contract is terminated completely, then it is necessary to return residual value smartphone - 7990 rubles (on the Market the average price of a device is approximately 6900 rubles) minus the number of months of use multiplied by 349 rubles.
MGTS representatives stated that in the future model range devices offered under similar conditions can be expanded; the company plans to sell “tens of thousands of smartphones.”
Vedomosti journalists talked to experts who reported that the average “lifespan” of a broadband subscriber in Moscow in the provider’s network is 28 months, with the churn rate being about 20%. They are confident that MGTS’s promotion will allow them to increase service life and reduce outflow, including by “poaching” subscribers from other operators.
How does this work
Tariffs that include services and equipment - as in this case, Internet access and calls for 700 rubles and a smartphone for 1 ruble - are called contract tariffs. In such cases, the cost of the equipment is included in the subscription fee, and the subscriber undertakes under the contract to pay it on time within the agreed period. Previously, we talked about the advantages of such tariffs using the example of equipment issued by operators as a gift. Let us list the main points again.
So, the idea of contract tariffs is simple: in exchange for preferential connection conditions, the subscriber assumes additional (compared to regular tariffs) obligations regarding payment and the period of use of the services. No one will just give him anything, so in exchange for preferential terms, the subscriber undertakes to continuously use the operator’s services for a certain time, and if the payment terms are violated, penalties are charged.
The use of contract tariffs allows operators to solve several problems at once:
- Reduce entry threshold. In many cases, subscriber equipment is not cheap - smartphones, set-top boxes digital television etc. The contract tariff allows the operator to expand the base of potential customers, and subscribers do not have to immediately pay a large amount when connecting.
- Increase ARPU. The actual cost of the equipment is included in the monthly payment for services, which is usually higher in the contract tariff than in the tariff without receiving the equipment. As a result, over the term of the contract the operator not only returns the costs, but also turns a profit. In addition, after the end of the contract, the subscription fee does not change, and a significant part of subscribers will simply forget to change the tariff - so for some time, customers will actually continue to pay for equipment that has already paid for itself.
- Subscriber retention. To disconnect from the operator on a regular prepaid tariff, you just need to stop paying. As a result, it is easier for a subscriber to disconnect than to continue using the services. This is not the case with contract tariffs - here you need to either return serviceable equipment to the operator or pay for it. It seems that this is simple, but for most subscribers this condition will become an insurmountable obstacle, and they will continue to pay. Only the most dissatisfied will go as far as termination.
If we look at the MGTS case in more detail, the mathematics will look something like this. For a smartphone, the subscriber will end up paying approximately 350*24=8400₽ - purchasing wholesale price for such devices should be approximately 5000-5500₽. Quite acceptable figures, even taking into account the cost and risks of a two-year installment plan.
In addition, the operator with a new tariff will be able to attract new subscribers to the MVNO project, and will also be able to reduce the outflow of broadband access users among those connected several times. Open data on MGTS outflow to open access, of course not, but based on our experience we can assume that from the market average of 25% of the subscriber base per year it will drop to 5-8%.
This means that MGTS will not need to compensate for losses from quickly disconnected subscribers at the expense of loyal customers. As a result, the operator will be able to have a good margin while maintaining attractive prices. In the case of a package tariff with a smartphone for a ruble, the operator draws the attention of users that they can save “up to 15 thousand rubles per year”: 8,000 rubles on the purchase of a phone, and about 7,000 rubles on communication services.
Thus, even in the conditions of fierce competition in Moscow, competent marketing allows the operator to achieve good results and even increase its subscriber base by “pulling” users from less flexible companies.
What does it take to be “like MGTS”
Contract tariffs are beneficial to the operator - if implemented correctly. The main task of the company is to monitor the subscriber’s fulfillment of his contractual obligations. Only if users comply with the terms of the contract (that is, pay in full and on time), will it be beneficial to the operator.
When we were faced with the task of implementing contract tariffs in our Hydra billing, it turned out that solving it was not at all as easy as expected. It turned out that there are many pitfalls and boundary issues: for example, it is necessary to be able to correctly handle cases of warranty replacement of equipment, or a subscriber switching to a more expensive tariff plan, replacement of equipment with more expensive ones, early termination of the contract, and so on.
Any company that decides to implement contract tariffs on its own will face these questions. It will be difficult to avoid mistakes along the way, and therefore it makes sense to use billing solutions in which such functionality has already been tested by other operators.
In global operator practice, providing subscribers with equipment on preferential terms when concluding an agreement is commonplace. Brand new iPhone in the United States it sells for a dollar. But only if you sign a long-term contract.
To keep up with Western colleagues, Russian companies There are also promotions offering to buy smartphones for 1 ruble. Of course, Apple products are not listed among the devices.
Promotions and special offers of operators
At the time of writing, only MTS offers to buy a smartphone for 1 ruble. This opportunity is provided to loyal for corporate subscribers companies with at least 15 numbers on the balance sheet of the enterprise. The list of devices available for purchase includes both OEM devices from China and top models from global brands. The list of recent contains Samsung Galaxy A3, A5 and S6.
Private clients of the red-and-white operator cannot buy a Galaxy S6 for 1 ruble. But special offers for users of prepaid services also apply. They are not so attractive, but they can seduce an unprepared person. So, for 990 rubles it is offered Alcatel One Touch POP C2 or One Touch PIXI 3.
By paying 1490 rubles, you become the owner of a smartphone MTS Smart Start. In addition to purchasing a phone for the specified “discounted” price, you will be required to use the tariff that is determined by the promotion.
Both Alcatel models offered by MTS have similar characteristics and are among the most budget smartphones on the market:
- 4-inch screen with a resolution of 800x480 pixels;
- inexpensive dual core processor MTK;
- 512 MB RAM;
- volume internal memory– 4 GB, of which half is available to the user. There is support for memory cards up to 32 GB;
- 3 MP camera (both Alcatel devices).
The main difference between MTS Smart Start and the models described above is the 5 MP camera.
Beeline offers to buy at a special price of 990 rubles. two models: Jinga BASCO X1 and Micromaxs 300 BOLT. To do this, you need to connect to the “All for 400” tariff plan and pay for services in advance 4 months (total 2590 rubles).
According to the characteristics of Beeline smartphones, the situation is similar. The devices are the most budget-friendly, only Micromax is based on the Spreadtrum chipset, and the camera resolution is just 2 megapixels. Jinga runs on the MTK processor, but is otherwise similar.
Megafon does not currently organize such attractive promotions. Inexpensive devices sold together with a service package are Megafon Login and Megafon Optima. They cost 1490 rubles. A prerequisite for purchasing is to pay for the tariff plan in advance (for 6–12 months). It is 350 rubles/month. for the first model and 199 rubles/month. for the second one.
Login operates on the MTK 6572 chip, but the phone's display belongs to the previous generation. The resolution is 480x320 pixels, with a diagonal of 3.5″. The Optima has a clearer screen: the diagonal is 4 inches and the resolution is 800x480 pixels. Otherwise the devices are similar. They are equipped with 512 MB of RAM and 4 GB of internal storage. In addition to the screen, smartphones differ in their cameras: the “Login” has a sensor resolution of 2 MP, the “Optima” – 3. The devices do not have flashes.
An attraction of unprecedented generosity or a pragmatic calculation?
If in American conditions the fact that the device will pay off with interest for both the operator and the manufacturer does not raise questions, then in Russian market the situation is becoming controversial. Indeed, in the USA, when signing a two-year contract, the subscriber undertakes to pay for iPhone device 6 128Gb with a contract - $399 and use the operator’s services for up to 2 years. While without a contract, the same smartphone costs $849.
In Russia, through a promotion from Beeline, in March 2015, you could buy a smartphone for $1000, with a discount of as much as 1000 rubles. At the time of writing this article in online stores on our portal, the most favorable price found around $836. We can conclude that such grandiose actions as in the USA are out of the question in Russia.
Striped tricks
Promotion from Beeline, which offers for 990 rubles. acquiring a new device involves purchasing a package of communication services in the amount of 2,400 rubles. The client will have to pay 3390 rubles.
On Chinese trading platforms, the wholesale cost of similar devices starts at 25–30 dollars (at the current exchange rate this is 1700–2000 rubles). Therefore, VimpelCom JSC does not incur losses, but thus acquires a client who will be forced to use the services of the Beeline network as long as he has this device. Promotional smartphones do not support other operators.
Moreover, the operator does not hesitate to indicate in the terms of the promotion that the speed of data transfer on the Internet depends on the type of network in which the subscriber is located. It could be GPRS or EDGE, 3G and even LTE. But here's the problem - promotional devices do not support LTE networks.
What does MTS hide in its egg?
You also buy from MTS budget smartphones at cost, paying for the tariff plan that is imposed. You will not get pleasure from the devices they offer.
For the same price, and sometimes even less, you can purchase a similar device, and sometimes even better. Just go to our smartphone catalog, sort by price and look at offers from different online stores in the country.
You will find a device that is in no way inferior to those proposed above, but you will not be tied to certain tariffs. If you haven’t had a smartphone before and want to understand what it is operating system in your smartphone and use applications without problems, we recommend choosing a device at a price of $50 or more. Everything that the market offers at a lower cost is practically no different from ordinary touchscreen or keypad phones. Modern device can be found starting from $100.
The proposed smartphones from MTS can hardly be called smartphones.
Analysis of the functionality of promotional smartphones “for the ruble”
Users note the reasonable price and convenience (there is no need to wait for a package from China), but the subscriber does not receive a clear benefit. In the corporate segment, the terms of tariffs become the object of criticism. The costs of purchasing a device and paying for communication services lead to the fact that a smartphone is purchased at full price.
The analysis also showed that they differ in short time battery life. “Megafon Login” lasts 4–6 hours in web surfing mode. Compared to the 7–8 hours of inexpensive competitors, it looks weak.
MTS smartphones, judging by the reviews, suffer from the same drawback. Although the MT 6572 is not very hungry in terms of energy consumption, a 1200 mAh battery is not enough for it. Cameras of promotional smartphones are another weak point. They can only take a good shot in bright sunshine.
Megafon Optima is also criticized for its screen: although the resolution is 800x480 pixels, the viewing angles are far from ideal. When tilted, color distortion appears. Even videos in landscape mode are uncomfortable to watch.
512 MB of RAM makes itself felt. When running several programs at the same time, the earlier ones are collapsed into cache. Reverse unloading requires a wait of 3–5 seconds. Browsers (Chrome, Opera Mobile and Mini, Firefox) may suddenly crash due to insufficient RAM.
The fact that new devices are “locked” to work with one operator also does not bring joy to users. If you bought a device from Beeline, then it will refuse to work with SIM cards from other companies.
Conclusions
It is practically impossible to buy a smartphone for 1 ruble (relatively speaking). Remember, you will have to pay for the device. After all, the cost of the equipment was taken into account when setting the monthly subscription fee, which is often impossible to refuse.
Users who are just starting to get acquainted with smartphones will find the promotion profitable. For them, the insufficient level of functionality (weak cameras, lack of memory) of promotional devices may not be a serious disadvantage, and the terms of the tariff may correspond to their needs. The counterargument is the short battery life.
