Carrier lets customers rent iPhone 5s, Galaxy Note 3 for almost nothing

French carrier Iliad, which operates the well-known local Free brand, has a new offer for its mobile customers that will let them rent high-end smartphones. The first three devices in the new program are Apple’s iPhone 5s, and Samsung’s Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3, which subscribers can rent for €12 per month for two years after an initial down payment of €99, €49. and €129, respectively.

French mobile telecoms operator Iliad will lease high-end smartphones to subscribers of its low-cost Free Mobile packages in a long-awaited attack on its larger rivals’ most profitable business. The move is a major departure from the no-frills plans that have enabled the upstart operator to grab an 11 percent market share since the Free Mobile service launched in January 2012.