The Captain's Blog ™

I don’t mean to be impolite, but did it escape the notice of folks at Apple and O2 that we’re in the midst of a recession?

I appreciate that the new iPhone 3GS is technically superior to the previous 2G and 3G models. And I also fully understand that, contrary to the opinion of certain supposedly clever folk (“There’s no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance.” - Steve Ballmer, Microsoft), the iPhone’s previous incarnations have already proven to be a huge hit on both sides of the Atlantic.

But isn’t the cost a bit on the steep side? Not only might you have to pay upfront for the handset, you also need to be spending £35 or more per month for a tariff that offers any decent level of voice and text messaging usage allowances (assuming that you play by the rules and stick with O2 in the UK).

As much as I’d really, truly love to own one, I struggle to justify spending that much money. Believe me, I’ve tried.  I’ve had a play with the iPhone 3GS’s predecessor in an O2 high street shop (just love that scrolling action). I’ve read all sorts of iPhone 3GS reviews and related tweets on Twitter by folks like Jason Bradbury (Gadget Show) and the incomparable living legend Stephen Fry (“3GS version of Apple’s must-have phone is a triumph”). Then there was that article about the 10 smartest and the 10 stupidest iPhone apps (found items of interest in both lists).

I’ve even found myself noting how many people I can spot using iPhones in television programmes and films, which (to my shame) I realise speaks only to the weak (yet still persuasive) “cool-factor” argument (yes, I know it’s just product placement, but let’s agree to conveniently ignore that). All this effort and yet I still can’t successfully persuade Mrs Consumer that I need to have one.

At the other end of the price spectrum, this week saw the welcome launch by UK mobile phone network Orange of a new pay monthly mobile phone tariff priced at UNDER £5 a month (until VAT goes back up, when it will still only be a straight £5). Now that’s just the ticket! A value mobile phone deal that takes full account of the nation’s prevailing economic mood! Orange evidently has some pretty astute marketers on the payroll.

Whilst you (quite rightly) wouldn’t expect the world for a fiver, you actually get a pretty respectable return on your money. £4.89 a month with Orange will currently get you a FREE mobile phone (don’t expect anything too fancy!) plus 50 anytime minutes and 50 text messages. That’s on a 36 month contract – otherwise known as three years. Before you cry foul at the contract duration, note that this deal also includes a FREE replacement phone after 18 months. Not bad, hey?

If you’re prepared to push your proverbial boat out, you can instead pay £9.79 a month (£10 after the VAT rate reinstatement) for 100 minutes and 300 texts, again with a replacement phone halfway through the term.

If their handsets aren’t to your taste, you could even consider keeping an existing Orange phone or buying a SIM-free phone (eg from Mobile Fun) to use with your frugal Orange price plan. Just a thought.

Time to go now. Having publicly confessed my growing desire for one, I simply can’t resist the temptation to find and read more reviews about the iPhone 3GS. I know it’s wrong, but it feels so right…