Microsoft"s Lumia 550 - its affordable new Windows 10 Mobile handset - went on sale in the UK less than a month ago priced from as little as £79.99 on a new pay-as-you-go (PAYG) plan, but just a week later, it had already got its first price cut. The 550 received a further discount in a festive promotion that"s still running at the UK"s largest independent device retailer, Carphone Warehouse, allowing buyers to grab one from just £59.99 including a new PAYG SIM, or £29.99 on a PAYG upgrade.
But the retailer has now gone even further, reducing the price of the Lumia 550 to zero for PAYG buyers who are prepared to pay for six months of service in advance.
Called "The Complete Package", it"s based upon a £20 Pay & Go plan on the O2 network, which includes:
- 2GB of 4G data
- 1500 minutes
- 4000 texts
...per month. What makes this option different from other PAYG options is that you"ll be asked to make a single up-front payment for six months in advance - a total of £120 - which allows you to get the handset free.
Here"s how The Complete Package compares with paying for an O2 £20 Pay & Go tariff on a monthly basis:
- £49.99 up-front cost for the Lumia 550 (promotional price until Jan 7)
- 2GB of 4G data
- 400 minutes
- 4000 texts
So, by paying in advance for six months of service, you"ll get an extra 1100 minutes per month, and you"ll save on the up-front cost of the device.
The Lumia 550 is also available on other networks and plans - and from various other retailers (although Carphone Warehouse is the only one in the UK to offer it in white) - or it can be purchased SIM-free for £99.99.
Source: Carphone Warehouse