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Amid High Prices and Uncertainty, the Number of Brazilians Who Prefer to Rent Modern Phones with Insurance and Additional Services Is Growing
More and more Brazilians are swapping the idea of buying a new phone for a device subscription. Instead of paying off an expensive smartphone over years, many prefer to pay a fixed monthly fee that includes the use of a modern model, insured against theft and with additional services.
Two of the main companies operating in this model added nearly 30,000 new contracts in just the first half of this year.
This represents a growth of 158% compared to the same period in 2023, according to Allu, one of the leaders in the sector.
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Economy and Access to Top Models
Regivan Oliveira is an example of someone who saw the advantage in this type of service. He was able to use a high-end phone at a more affordable price.
Instead of buying an iPhone 16 Pro Max in 12 installments of R$ 830, he chose to subscribe for R$ 630 per month.
Meanwhile, a Samsung Galaxy S25, which would cost almost the same as the rental, can be contracted for R$ 419 monthly.
Leapfone, another company offering this alternative, saw a 95% increase in subscriptions during the same period.
The demand is so great that there is already a waiting list in some cases. According to the company’s head, Stephanie Peart, the profile of the customers has changed: they are people interested in economy, security, and access to the most modern models on the market.
Security Drives Demand
The increase in phone rentals is also linked to a common problem in Brazil: insecurity. In 2024, the country has already recorded 910,000 thefts or robberies of phones, according to the Brazilian Yearbook of Public Security.
Despite a 13% decrease compared to 2023, the average is still high — about 2,500 occurrences per day.
Capitals like São Luís, Belém, São Paulo, and Salvador lead the statistics. In São Paulo, in the first two months of the year, there was one phone theft every three minutes.
In this scenario, more than 300 users of Allu activated the insurance included in the rental contract after being victims of theft or robbery.
This shows how the included protection has been a decisive factor in choosing the service.
Rental as a Solution to High Prices
Besides security, another factor driving this new market is the price of smartphones. The Commercial and Marketing Vice President of Pitzi, Tatiany Martins, explains that renting has filled a gap left by the high prices of recent releases.
For many people, renting has become the most viable way to keep up with technological advancements. This is the case for clinical analysis technician Pâmela Maiara, who rented her first phone a year and a half ago and does not intend to go back to buying. The reason? To always have the most current model.
In the meantime, insurance is still uncommon in Brazil: only 10% of devices have any protection. In comparison, the rates are much higher in other countries: 50% in the United States and Europe, and up to 90% in Japan.
With information from CBN.Globo.
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