[3GScottishUser]

Obviously 3 UK have taken their eye completely off the ball.

3's price for a Motorola V3x (Locked to 3) on Woeful WePay is £219.99 (Excluding the mandatory £30 Top-Up).

You can get the same Motorola V3x now SIM Free from CPW for just £179.99.

20% more for a SIM Locked phone?

Which would you choose to buy?

Pays to check prices as SIM Free handsets appear to be coming down all the time and provide the ultimate in user flexibility.

[Hands0n]

Indeed, it is a strange situation for 3 to find themselves in. If the SIM-free market does start to bring down the prices the PAYG handset market may well fall through the floor. Not too bad news for the mobile operators who will then only have to administer SIMs and not get too involved with the practical issues of supplying and supporting handsets. And why not? We don't buy our PCs from Microsoft, and seem to manage quite well enough!

But if this trend you've spotted grows then 3 will be faced with either competing (less income) or getting out of that particular segment altogether. Their SIM-only seems to be a dead duck, a halfhearted attempt to get us to buy their WePay - thanks, but no thanks, really!

The V3x is currently out of stock on CPW here (http://www.carphonewarehouse.com/commerce/servlet/gben-pd-ProductDisplay?PN=SIMFREEPHONES&filter_partModel=MOTV3X)

But that is a very good price for a SIM-free 3G handset with those capabilities, even if Motorola is a taste to be acquired.

Other SIM-free 3G phones on CPW include this little lot (http://www.carphonewarehouse.com/commerce/servlet/gben-pd-ProductDisplay?PN=SIMFREEPHONES&filter_network=&filter_manufacturer=&ff_HCAP_3G=HCAP_3G&networkSIMFREEPHONES=&manufacturerSIMFREEPHONES=). Nice :)

[3GScottishUser]

So I see now, I remember telling customers my prices were always cheaper when I was sold out :)

That said, that was the last price they sold them at and I suspect (knowing CPW) if they shifted the stock they will get more to sell at the same price. Interesting to see that the V3x's GSM cousin is now £130 SIM Free.

[miffed]

I think Three are actually being very clever here

After all they have identefied that anyone interested in buying a V3X is
... how can I say .... ?

Not likely to be very astute ?

Clever old Three !