Moto G Play Joins Amazon's Ad-subsidized Prime Exclusive Phones Program For $99

An anonymous reader writes: Amazon continues to leverage advertisements with its 'Prime Exclusive Phones' program. This allows consumers to get a discounted Android phone in exchange for seeing ads on the lock screen. It is a great way for shoppers to save money, while Amazon makes money from the ads -- win/win. Today, a new phone joins the program for a mere $99 -- the Moto G Play. It even works on all four of the major USA carriers, including Verizon!The company announced the first phone in this series in June. The company had offered a $50 off on each Blu Phone and the Moto G.

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[wierd_w]

Yes, because android doesn't have ENOUGH ads in it already!

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[hackel]

Android doesn't have *any* ads whatsoever. You must have installed some application that is showing you advertising. If you do so without using proper ad-blocking software, that's on you.

The G4 Play makes no sense

[feranick]

Let's summarize: the ad-free version of the G4-play goes for 149USD (99USD, Prime ad version). Comes with 16GB RAM, 8MP camera and a Qualcomm 410. However, the base version of the G4 goes for the same prive on amazon (either version) and comes with the same 16GB RAM, better 13MP camera and a Qualcomm 627. Can anybody explain to me what's Amazon/Lenovo's thinking?

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[kimgkimg]

Smaller and lighter form factor for those people who don't like big phones. "The Moto G4 Play measures 144.4 x 72mm with a curve from 8.95 to 9.9mm and it hits the scales at 137g, making it slimmer and lighter than the third generation, as well as the other fourth-gen models. The measurements for the Moto G4 Plus and Moto G4 are 153 x 76.6mm with a curve from 7.9 to 9.8mm. They also both weigh 155g."

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[hackel]

16GB RAM?!? On a phone? There is no way that is correct. It's hard to find a phone with even 4GB yet. What are you talking about? 16GB of flash storage would be incredibly low, if that's what you're referring to.

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[feranick]

You are correct, sorry for the confusion. I meant to say 16GB Flash.... both come with 2 GB RAM.

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[feranick]

Well, this is what goes on Amazon; G4 at 149.99. Not sure if they will bump it to 199.99, but for now the price seems to be the same: https://www.amazon.com/Moto-4t... [amazon.com]

Ad money comes from somewhere

[ljw1004]

This allows consumers to get a discounted Android phone in exchange for seeing ads on the lock screen. It is a great way for shoppers to save money, while Amazon makes money from the ads -- win/win

Ad spending in the US was $200billion in 2016, for a US labor force of 160mil. That's basically an annual $1200 tax on everyone for the privilege of having ads shoved in their faces.

Win / win / lose.

It's "Win" for Amazon, "Win" for consumers who get a subsidized phone, and "Lose" for consumers who pay money for advertising that gets siphoned off into the advertising middle-men and a small fraction of it trickles back down to consumers.

And hey, as tagged advertising gets better and better, reaching its final

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[maeka]

Ad spending in the US was $200billion in 2016, for a US labor force of 160mil. That's basically an annual $1200 tax on everyone for the privilege of having ads shoved in their faces.

Another, I would argue more representative, way of putting things is that advertising costs ~1% of GDP.

One could view that as a small price to pay for consumer lubrication.

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[Anomalyst]

"piggy back" is a euphemism for which Kama Sutra position? As I am certain some one is being screwed.

...because Lenoovo is gung-ho on ads

[surfdaddy]

Well they had malware, and they had a rootkit, and they have had security issues. Now they are trying ads in their phones. Boy I wouldn't touch Lenovo with a ten foot pole.

Wipe?

[hackel]

Is there anything preventing these phones from being wiped, installing a stock G4 image without ads and/or another custom ROM? Does it have some obnoxious locked bootloader or something?

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[viperidaenz]

G4 Play has a snapdragon 410, same as the G3
G4 has a snapdragon 617
G4 Plus has s snapdragon 617

Where's the MediaTek chipset?

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[ShooterNeo]

The G4 has a locked bootloader. There still is a readily available hack that lets you remove the ads, however.