[DaveC]

OK - What do you think of this idea

http://www.mobiletoday.co.uk/News/13442/o2_leasing_smartphone.aspx

[Ben]

Erm, I honestly don't know what to make of that. Perhaps for people that change their phones regularly this is a good idea... but then aren't people who change their phones regularly likely to be the ones who like to actually buy their phones, unlock them, install custom software etc?

Seems like a lot of money to not own anything at the end of the day.

[miffed]

Bizzare ! I could kind of understand it if you were not tied to a minimum term (i.e lease a phone with no ties for 3 months , then throw it back) that would be perhaps worth the premium you appear to be paying here.
Worth noting they are only offering this with the iPhone - realistically this is the only phone that is worth anywhere near a worthwhile price after 12 months - The cynical side of me thinks o2 are trying to cash in on the value retention of these phones.

[Hands0n]

O2 has announced the first smartphone leasing programme in the United Kingdom, letting customers use a device for a year for £55 per month.

The O2 Lease service offers consumers 750 minutes, insurance, unlimited text and 500MB of data for a 16GB device. For customers wanting a 32GB phone with the same conditions, they pay £65. O2 is initially offering customers the iPhone 4S but a spokesperson said it hopes to bring additional devices into the offer in future.

(Culled from the original post link to O2 by DaveC)

I call shenanigans. This, surely, is a scam in sheep's clothing.

The only thing you're getting out of this is a 12 month obligation as opposed to 24 months. I have just done a comparison on the O2 website and for an iPhone 4S 16GB with no up-front payment, 24 months, 1200 minutes, unlimited text and 500MB internet (O2's All Rounder) the monthly cost is £59.50 - just £4.50 more. The benefit being that at the end of the period there is residual value that the customer can reclaim via one means or another. That could be Mazuma if you're lazy or eBay if you're not).

I'm not really feeling this ...

[DaveC]

As miff says I could see the benefits of short term leasing - especially in business. My son-in-law is in a business where they have people coming over here to work on 3-6 month contracts. As the number of workers varies from time to time the ability to lease would prove ideal.

[Hands0n]

@DaveC - there is probably a ready market for just what you describe. Short term loan for visitors and suchlike.

[solo12002]

sorry I to think its a rip off. One post rightly stated that a contract would leave you with a phone at the end of it.

At the end of the day I think it depends on your needs. for example would a PAYG phone be better for use, or would a phone on a sharer contract be better were for example you pay a lower rental but share mins etc of the main user. On top of which if you have staff coming from overseas they may have a blot on etc that allows them to use there phone at a cheaper rate than we pay for example three Ireland still have home like home