The OnePlus 6T can now be bought in interest-free instalments

The OnePlus 6T is one of the best smartphones you can buy without breaking the bank, but it’s still a not insignificant SIM-free outlay. That’s awkward because contract prices for the device tend to be comparable to phones with higher RRPs, which kind of defeats the main appeal of going with OnePlus.

But now there’s a way to get the benefits of a cheaper handset without needing to drop £499 in one go. OnePlus has teamed up with Klarna, a financing company, that will allow you to defer your payment by 30 days, or split the cost of the phone into three interest-free monthly payments. You’ll just need to buy from the OnePlus website and select the option as you checkout.

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Okay, so paying £166.33 for three months in a row (for the cheapest model) isn’t as appealing as paying your standard £30 monthly contract charge, but it does have the very clear benefit that the phone will be yours in 90 days.

The other benefit, of course, is that contract-only SIM deals are often more competitive, and you can shop around for a mix of minutes, texts and data that matches your planned usage.

This feels like a pretty good deal, but it’s not without its drawbacks, of course.

On one hand, interest-free payment makes this more appealing than putting it on a credit card, but on another, it’s something you should really only do if you know for sure your finances will be in order in 90 days’ time.

The site is understandably quiet on what happens if you miss a payment, but it’s hard to imagine it stopping at just a friendly chat about financial responsibilities.

(Update 21/02/18: Klarna has reached out to us with an explanation about missed payments, explaining that there are “no interest fees or surcharges for late payment penalties in the UK – ever.”

It adds: “If the debt remains unpaid after a period of time and the customer still hasn’t been in touch with our customer service team, we try to reach out to them over several months to try and re-establish communication and ask for repayments. Klarna takes a number of steps to ensure customers have every opportunity to make their repayments, before eventually terminating the statement and passing it on to debt collectors.”)

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Still, if you’re certain you can make the payments, but just want a bit of breathing room on big purchases, then it’s worth considering. After three quite expensive months, you could be down to paying £7.50 per month for 2GB data (GiffGaff) or £9 for 4GB (ID Mobile).

That’s certainly more appealing than taking out a £40+ per month contract…

Will you be buying a OnePlus 6T on instalments? Let us know on Twitter: @TrustedReviews.