Festive demand on easy finance: Samsung, Vivo, Xiaomi and others stretch EMIs to 30 months, bear interest costs

Kolkata: Smartphone and consumer electronics makers are stretching equated monthly instalment (EMI) tenures to as long as 30 months this festive season-six to eight months more than usual-taking a hit on margins as they absorb the financing cost to cushion consumers from steep price increases and revive demand, especially in the mass-to-mid-level segments.

Samsung, Vivo, Realme, Xiaomi, Oppo and Nothing have done this even for entry- and mid-segment smartphones, where EMI options weren’t offered to customers or were for a shorter eight to 10 months.