Cinch: More SEA users are turning to device subscriptions instead of buying outright
Singapore-based device subscription platform Cinch has released its first ever impact report, detailing how its Device-as-a-Service (DaaS) model performed across Singapore and Malaysia in 2025. The company says this report is meant to measure whether or not its subscription-based approach is actually improving access to devices while reducing eWaste in Southeast Asia.
According to the report, more than half of Cinch’s subscribers either could not get a device elsewhere or would have delayed getting one without the platform. Specifically, 22.4% said they had no alternative access to devices, while another 31.4% said they would have postponed their purchase entirely.
Cinch positions itself as an alternative to traditional ownership by offering laptops, smartphones and tablets through subscriptions instead of needing users to pay a lump sum up front to purchase their devices. The idea is to keep devices circulating between users for longer periods instead of being discarded after a one owner has decided to upgrade to something new.
The company also claimed that demand grew significantly in 2025. Total applications increased 241% year-on-year, while approved applicants rose 318%. Most of their subscribers, 70.4% of them in fact, say that affordability was the main reason they chose Cinch, with flexibility also another big reason why.
Cinch added that SMEs are increasingly turning to subscription-based hardware instead of buying devices outright. The company claims this helped its SME clients unlock 152% more working capital year-on-year by converting hardware purchases from capital expenditure into monthly operating costs.
Its B2B device fleet under management rose 189%, while client retention increased 44%. Cinch also says average device costs dropped 13%, which it attributes to scale and reuse efficiencies. Second-cycle subscriptions, where devices are reused by multiple customers, grew 510% year-on-year. Refurbishment events increased 688%, while refurbishment turnaround times fell 46%. Overall, Cinch estimates that its operations avoided 62 tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions in 2025.
Looking ahead, Cinch says it aims to have 1 million devices in active circulation annually by 2030. The company is also targeting over 62,000 tonnes of avoided emissions and more than 100 tonnes of eWaste diverted from landfills each year. For more information about Cinch and its subscription model, you can click here to head to its website.
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