The Carphone Warehouse has launched what it claims is the UK’s cheapest-ever mobile phone, the Alcatel OT-209.
The simple, lightweight handset, which went on sale at stores nationwide on Friday, is available for just 99p when purchased with £10 worth of Virgin Mobile credit, which gives 300 free texts .
There are no other fees attached other than the cost of making calls and text messages.
At 99p, the Ot-209 is unsurprisingly basic. It comes with an FM radio and a few games, and offers up to 400 hours of standby power five hours of talktime.
Charles Dunstone, founder and chairman of the Carphone Warehouse, said: “At Christmas the one question we get asked the most in our stores is ‘what’s your cheapest phone?’ and at 99p this is the lowest it’s ever been.”
“I guess it reflects just how competitive the UK mobile market has become between carriers and manufacturers. Mobile phones are such an important part of people’s lives and so many are manufactured that they have become very cheap to make.”
He added that sales of pre pay mobiles are likely to soar in the run up to Christmas as the cost of sophisticated smartphones continues to drop.
