- Who is numobile?
- How does numobile's nu subscription offering work?
- Do nu subscription devices work out cheaper?
- Is nu subscription the most environmentally-friendly option?
- Who is responsible for devices under nu subscription?
- What happens to the device at the end of a nu subscription?
- How does the nu subscription early upgrade work?
- Is numobile's nu subscription offering worth it?
You can rent a house and lease a car but have you ever considered leasing a phone? If you collect all your old phones and want to do your bit for mother nature or simply want the latest iPhone now, numobile's latest subscription offering could be for you. However, there are quite a few strings attached so we've written this guide that investigates all the T's and C's so you don't have to.
Who is numobile?
Powered by the Telstra network, numobile is a relatively new Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) with a simple philosophy: to ease the financial and environmental burdens of owning a quality mobile phone.
Since 2019 numobile has been offering customers new and refurbished phones paired with value-focused, no-frills SIM plans. This means everyday Aussies can now own a pre-loved smartphone at an affordable price. By selling devices that are either reused or recycled responsibly, numobile hopes to change the consumption model.
In addition to cornering the market of selling refurbished phones, numobile also has its nu subscription service which 'leases' new phones to its customers.
How does numobile's nu subscription offering work?
With nu subscription, customers can 'lease' either refurbished or brand-new phones. When paired with one of its SIM plans, customers can instantly get the phone they want on a monthly priced plan that promises to be good value. But how do numobile's device pricing really compare? Unfortunately, all that glitters is not gold so here are the caveats to be aware of.
Do nu subscription devices work out cheaper?
Let's use numobile's iPhone 14 deal as an example. For this device, you can pay from $37 per month to lease the device but the minimum payment over the entire 36-month period works out to be $1332. This excludes your chosen SIM plan costs.
When you compare these lease plans to the outright price for an iPhone 14 directly from Apple is $1399, which means you're only saving $67.
And here's how these plans compare to Telstra, Optus and Vodafone's iPhone 14 36-month plan:
numobile's entry-level lease plans are cheaper than what you'll find on Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone, they have very small data allowances. As you move up in data allowance, there are fewer savings between what numobile offers and Optus and Vodafone.
You also need to factor in a few other concerns:
- What if you want to keep the device after your subscription ends?
- What if you want to upgrade before the 36 months are up?
- What if you damage the phone and are further out of pocket for repairs?
If you want the latest iPhone model now but can't afford to buy it outright, you can alternatively get 0%-interest financing direct from Apple, buy the phone outright, and then get a cheap plan from an MVNO.
Is nu subscription the most environmentally-friendly option?
Yes if you're a phone hoarder and don't want to add more phones to that ever-growing box in your wardrobe. And yes again if you like the idea of reducing waste by giving an old phone a new life. But remember you can alternatively trade in your old iPhone to Apple directly or another telco when you upgrade anyway. Plus you even get money off your new device by doing it this way. Ultimately trade-in refunds or money off your new phone would add up to more than the amount you would save by leasing a phone through numobile.
While numobile is offering an environmental option on paper, it doesn't financially and environmentally beat existing trade-in and upgrade options already available to customers.
Who is responsible for devices under nu subscription?
If you've read the fine print in numobile's terms and conditions, which no one does but we did, you will discover the customer leasing the phone is liable for any damages to the device.
For example, if you damage a leased iPhone 13 you're looking at $209 in fees when you return it after two years. Some quick calculations show this risk completely offsets any savings you're promised by leasing the device.
At the time of writing, numobile doesn't currently have the damage fees for iPhone 14 on its website.
What happens to the device at the end of a nu subscription?
When your subscription term ends, you can either choose to upgrade or recycle your phone - but not keep it. You are literally paying to lease the device - like renting a car or a house, you won't have any ownership over it by the end of your lease period.
Over the course of your lease, you can only save up to $100 on an iPhone 14 but you won't own the phone. Even a three-year-old iPhone can still sell for over $500 on the secondhand market so we find it extremely difficult to recommend anyone spend that much money on a phone that they don't even get to keep.
How does the nu subscription early upgrade work?
Customers who lease a phone through numobile have the option to upgrade 6 months early if they perhaps want to switch to Android or are craving the latest iPhone. By locking customers into a longer-term lease agreement numobile ensures it truly gets its money's worth. Because customers don't keep the device at the end of the subscription period, it's not like customers can simply payout the remaining balance. For people who always want the latest and greatest this limitation is extremely important to consider before signing up.
Is numobile's nu subscription offering worth it?
In our honest opinion, no. While its refurbished phones do come with free express shipping, a 30-day change of mind period and are backed by warranty we don't think these reasons are competitive enough to warrant the switch.
The Telstra MVNO's offering to save customers money while reducing environmental impacts may be nice on paper and even stack up against the bigger telco SIM plans and instances where people buy a new phone every time. But plenty of other trade-in options offer a better financial return and similar mobile phone plans promise even more data per month.
Our advice? Research financing and trade-in options before purchasing a new phone and explore MVNO plans around the same price point for a more competitive deal. Here are some of our most popular MVNO plans:
Christie Graham
Digital Content Editor
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