HTC Financing will make it easier to buy a phone in the US

Most smartphone purchases in the US are made through carriers primarily because of the ability to split up payments into bite-sized monthly chunks. That's especially more attractive now that smartphones have gone well beyond the $700 mark. But if you want an unlocked phone or if the phone of you're dreams isn't available from your carrier, you're mostly out of luck. Unless the phone of your dreams is an HTC U11, in which case your luck has changed now that HTC has its own Financing Program.

Actually, this is HTC's second program this decade. It had one a few years back, when its flagship line was still the One. But the problem with OEM financing programs is that, unlike carrier subsidies,. they come and go without warning, depending on the credit partner. This year, HTC is going with TD Bank.

The idea is simple really. You checkout an HTC phone online and apply for a credit. If the credit is approve, you don't have to pay anything right then and there. You will, of course, start paying a bit later, with the retail amount divided in 24 equal monthly chunks.

The key here is that it's really just the full retail price divided by 24. There is 0% interest involved. That, however, is only true for the first 2 years. If you don't pay it off by then, expect the rates to go up. Oh, and that price doesn't yet include taxes and shipping.

The HTC Financing Program with 0% interest only applies to smartphones costing $599 or higher. At the moment, that practically means only the HTC U11, which can be purchased for 24 montly payments of $28 each for the 64 GB model or $31 per month for 24 months for the 128 GB model. While it does sound like a good opportunity to buy an unlocked HTC U11, do be aware that there might be two more new smartphones around the corner that you might want to consider.

SOURCE: HTC