Carphone Warehouse offers free PAYG Nokia

Carphone Warehouse has upped the ante in the pay-as-you-go (PAYG) mobile phone stakes with the offer of a free phone, along with an initial purchase of talktime.

Mobile operators have traditionally charged more for PAYG handsets, when compared to those offered bundled with a fixed-term monthly contract.

But the mobile retailer recently broke with tradition to offer a Motorola phone for 2.89 and a Samsung one for 5.

Now it is offering the Nokia 1650 Blue handset on the Orange network free of charge. But customers must also purchase 30 worth of airtime upfront, which also gives them unlimited free texts for the first 30 days.

The phone itself would be ideal for "anyone who wants a phone that's not full of unnecessary features but still wants their phone to be attractive and entertaining," according to Carphone.

The 1650's specifications also boast that it can last an impressive 17 days between charges, alongside its dual-band, FM radio and 65K colour screen.

Although the 1650 also features noise cancellation filters to decrease any background sounds for high-quality calls, room for 500 address book entries, calendaring features and three preloaded games, it lacks vibration alert functionality.

The offer allows customers to choose between the four price plans offered by Orange, with their range of free texts and peak-time, evening and any network calls.