3 things you need to know about Maxis’ brand new Zerolution360 program

Today, Maxis launched Zerolution360. As its name would suggest, it is the green telco’s new phone ownership/membership program that allows you to trade upfront payments for monthly installments. However, it doesn’t replace Zerolution. Instead, Zerolution360 will exist alongside it, while also being more affordable.

Here are three things you need to know about it

1. Zerolution360 will be more affordable than Zerolution

Unlike regular Zerolution, Zerolution360 is designed for people who don’t actually want to keep the phone after the 24-month contract ends. Maxis says that it’s more like a leasing program where you return the device after 24 months or choose to upgrade.

Beacuse of this, Maxis tells us that they’re able to offer customers a much lower monthly rate: Some 20% to 40% lower than regular Zerolution depending on the device you choose. In addition to being more affordable, Zerolution360 will also offer customers more device protection features than Zerolution.

In essence, there are two Zerolution360 coverage plans to choose from. There’s the Basic one which will give you a 1-for-1 immediate replacement, total device protection (including accidental damages), as well as pickup & delivery services nationwide for repaired devices.

For RM10/month more, you can opt for the Premium Benefits plan instead. That adds coverage features like a one-time free screen replacement, a backup loan phone when your device is being repaird, lower repair or replacement fees and express device repair or replacements.

All of that is on top of existing features like zero upfront payments or interest rates when you sign up as well as the ability to upgrade your phone after 12 or 24 months.

At 12 months, you will unlock the ability to upgrade your phone or terminate the plan any time from month 13 onward. All you need to do at that point is return your device (in good working condition, to be graded by Maxis), pay an upgrade fee (reduces every quarter) and you’re set. Alternatively, you can also opt to continue paying for another 12 months. After 24 months, you will be able to upgrade or terminate for free as long as you return the device to Maxis in good working condition.

Of course, you can also choose to keep the phone after 24 months but you will need to pay a “nominal fee”. With this nominal fee, Maxis says that the total cost of Zerolution360 will pretty much equal how much you would have paid if you went through Zerolution instead. In other words: Zerolution360 is cheaper than Zerolution if you don’t want to keep the phone, but is about the same if you do.

2. You pay the same monthly fee, regardless of what plan you’re on

Perhaps the most interesting thing about Zerolution360 is that your monthly payments are device dependent and not plan dependent. That means you will pay the same monthly fee for a smartphone through Zerolution360 regardless of whether you’re on the MaxisONE Plan 128 or MaxisONE Plan 188.

Maxis says that you can also freely upgrade or downgrade between the MaxisONE Plans too because Zerolution360 won’t tie you to a contract with a particular plan.

3. Zerolution360 is only for flagship smartphones

Because of the way Zerolution360 is structured, Maxis says it can offer these low monthly installments only for flagship smartphones because these high-end devices hold their value better. As a result, the won’t be offering non-flagships through Zerolution360 — for that you’ll need to use regular Zerolution instead.

In general, Maxis says that as long as a device in their stable is above RM3,000, it should be available through Zerolution360. Currently, the devices on Maxis’ Zerolution360 are the Huawei P20, Huawei P20 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+. Maxis will also offer the brand new Samsung Galaxy Note9 when that arrives, as well as Huawei’s upcoming Mate (Mate 20) when that launches. Unfortunately, Maxis tells us that they don’t currently offer any iPhones on Zerolution360, but they’re working to get those offered in the coming weeks.

Right now, Maxis is offering the 64GB Galaxy S9 for RM89/month and the 128GB Galaxy S9+ for RM145/month. Meanwhile, there is a special pre-order promotion for the 128GB Galaxy Note9 on Zerolution360 where you can have the device for just RM99/month. If you prefer Huawei, the P20 can be yours on Zerolution360 for RM86/month while the P20 Pro is being offered for RM116/month.

For more details on Zerolution360, you can check out the Maxis website. There’s also a FAQ that goes into detail about what happens if your phone is damaged if you’re curious.