If you want to get your hands on the gorgeous N900 with all its Maemo goodness, you can still do so exclusively courtesy of Vodafone. I know there are a lot of MIR readers who were hunting for the device subsidised from an operator so do consider Vodafone.
Pick it up for free at £45/month on an 18-month contract. Or free on a £40/month 24-month contract.
Let's work that out: Is it worth getting the phone on contact:
£45/month * 18 = £810 = Are you insane???
£40/month * 24 = £960 = You must be totally insane!!!
And it's definitely not FREE as the Vodafone advert suggests.
The phone purchased Sim Free from the Nokia Mobile shop is £500 and even cheaper if you shop around online.
It is 'free' — you don't have to pay for the device up front.
I don't think there's anything wrong with those sums, Mick. The iPhone comes to a similar price across the contract.
If you REALLY like the N900, doing the deal with the operator could be very worthwhile.
For example, if you assume that you'll spend AT LEAST £45 per month on line rental for the next 5 years, that equates to £2,700.
Factor that down to 18 months: £810
So if you're going to pay for the line rental *anyway*, you'd be totally insane — to use your words — to go and buy an N900 for £500 up front.
If you've already got a £20 per month price plan from another operator that you absolutely love, brilliant. But bear in mind that actually works out more expensive than a £45/month 18-month contract with a free N900.
£20 x 18 months = £360
plus N900 sim-free, £500
Total cost: £860!