In a move that is both altogether unexpected and entirely predictable, Amazon is announcing this morning that it will bringing the same on-screen ad subsidized price cut its been offering on its own Kindle products to third party devices. As of this morning, the online mega-retailer is offering up deep discounts on a pair of already low-priced smartphones in a service akin to its Special Offers program, the first two non-Amazon devices to receive this treatment.
The bigger of the two names is the Moto G, which sheds $50 off its $200 unlocked retail asking price. The handset features a 5.5-inch full HD display and a 1.5 Ghz octa-core processor. Cheaper still is Blu’s ultra-budget five-inch R1 HD, which now sports a $50 unlocked asking price through the site.
Both handsets are available for pre-order at a discount for Amazon Prime members only, and both will sport personalized ads on their lock screens, should you go in for the discounted price. Users can either opt into the Special Offer-style deals or wipe them away. Either way, there will be more the next time the screen goes into lock mode. It’s a system that’s gotten a bit of a mixed reception on the company’s proprietary devices, but has clearly proven popular enough to roll out on third party products.
After all, Amazon Prime members have never been ones to turn down a deal when they see it, even if it means staring at more ads. Both handsets start shipping on July 12th. The company’s also tossed in a limited time extra Crazy Eddie-style sale, taking an additional $25 off the Moto G, knocking it down to $125 for the 16GB version and $155 for 32GB.