O2 Refresh, a new tariff from the leading UK network provider, has been officially announced, promising customers the ability to get a new phone at any point during their contract.
With the smartphone market continuing to evolve at a rapid pace leaving many with handset envy well before their lengthy two year deals are up, O2 Refresh looks set to offer faster access to new devices, with the plan seeing users pay for separate handset and airtime plans simultaneously.
Allowing customers to buy a new handset on O2 Refresh and tie it in with a trio of airtime plans, the new tariff will see those taking up the deal pay off the smartphone fee in monthly instalments. Those wanting to upgrade to a new handset can simply pay off their existing handset balance whilst maintaining the same airtime deal.
“Mobile phone technology continues to advance at a rapid pace, yet the way phones are sold has remained largely static,” Feilim Mackle, Sales and Service Director at Telefónica UK said. “Increasingly our customers are telling us that they don’t want to be tied to the same phone for two years and, with 4G coming to O2 this summer, we want to make it easier for our customers to benefit from the latest technology.”
He added: “For the first time in the UK, O2 Refresh will make it possible to get a new phone part way through a pay monthly contract, at any time – quickly, easily and cost-effectively.”
Set to launch across O2 stores from next Tuesday, April 16, the new O2 Refresh tariff will incorporate a selection of leading handsets, with the likes of the HTC One, Samsung Galaxy S3 and iPhone 5 all available. With the Sony Xperia Z and BlackBerry Z10 also up for grabs, the network provider has confirmed it will add the Samsung Galaxy S4 to the O2 Refresh scheme in the near future.
With three O2 Refresh airtime plans up for grabs, those making use of the offer will be able to tether their new handset to either a £12, £17 or £22 per month contracts.
With those opting for the £12 deal gaining 600 inclusive monthly minutes, unlimited texts and 750MB of data, those plumping for £17 per month will add unlimited minutes and a 1GB total data allowance. For £22 per month the data allowance is bumped to 2GB.
“O2 highlighting just how much consumers can waste by staying on the same plan once their contracts have ended may be a wake-up call to mobile customers,” Ernest Doku, a telecoms expert with uSwitch said of the new plans. “Those on O2 Refresh will be able to benefit from an automatic reduction in their monthly bills, but others can use the competitive market to shop around for a new deal when their contract is up.”
