Comes free with a two year contract, it’s claimed
Vodafone customers will be able to get their hands on RIM‘s new BlackBerry 10 phones within less than 24 hours of today’s launch, it’s claimed. According to The Verge website which says it was tipped off by one of the carrier’s employees, an internal memo reveals how customers will be able to order their BlackBerry Z10 online at 5pm today and then pick it up at any Vodafone store tomorrow [January 31st 2013].
If true it will be Vodafone’s first 4G ready smartphone though, with the company currently bidding for faster LTE spectrum in the government auction, it’s not clear just how RIM’s newest device will interact with the operator’s network.
Otherwise, the report says there will be a variety of plans for contract customers, with those opting for a two year deal getting the phone for free on a plan costing £47 per month for 3GB of data, unlimited talk and unlimited text.
The cheapest off contract deal is said to be a £25 plan with an upfront cost of £229 for the phone, which includes 100 MB of data, unlimited texts and 100 minutes of talk time.
* Footnote
India’s finance minister, Palaniappan Chidambaram, has hinted that agreement could soon be reached with Vodafone over a disputed $2.6 billion tax bill relating to the company’s acquisition of Hutchison Whampoa’s 67 per cent stake in what is now known as Vodafone India.
Speaking to the Financial Times, he revealed Vodafone had written to senior government officials in a bid to resolve the dispute and that a further round of talks would be held this week, leading to a possible settlement within a month.
Vodafone has always argued that it was not liable for capital gains as it was a purchaser, not a buyer, of the Hutchison subsidiary involved.
Google and Nokia have been similarly hit with bills from the India authorities for alleged tax violations.
