Sprint is now offering the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 starting at just $17 per month

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Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Do you want a new iPad Air or iPad mini, but can’t afford $399 or $499 to start? Well, thanks to Sprint, you can now lease an iPad Mini 3 starting at just $17.00 a month, or iPad Air 2 for just $20.

Today, Sprint announced a new hardware leading option for Apple’s new iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3, allowing customers to lease a new Apple tablet in monthly installments for a periof of two years. At the end of that time, they can swap the device out for a next-gen model, purchase the leased tablet, continue to use it month-to-month, or return it for no more fees if it’s in okay conditions. You have to be a Sprint customer, and these prices don’t include data.

This is a good way to get an iPad for a very cheap initial outlay. But it’s still probably not a great financial decision. Let’s examine the 16GB iPad Air 2. I’m assuming that Sprint is only offering the WiFi + Cellular model to lease. Retail, this device would cost $629. Sprint will charge you just $480 over two years for that device. Seems like a pretty good deal so far, but at the end of that two years, you still don’t own the device.

So when Sprint says you can then buy the device from them at the end of two years, in the very best case scenario, they’re saying that after two years of paying for it, you can pay the remaining money to finally own your iPad. And realistically? They’ll probably want a margin on top of that, so after two years of paying for your iPad, you’re ultimately paying even more money to own an obsolete two-year model.

Still, not everyone has $629 just lying around, especially at Christmas. And if you don’t mind paying a small monthly fee for your iPad indefinitely, Sprint’s plan is a good way to let you to update your iPad every two years without laying down a few hundred dollars each time.

What do you think? Good deal or not? Let us know in the comments.

Source: Sprint

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