BlackBerry seeks to oust the iPhone

T-Mobile's new BlackBerry offer may be making waves in the mobile market, but how does it compare to the mighty iPhone in terms of cost?

They've been a favourite of businessmen and women for years. Relied upon by many, loathed by even more, the humble BlackBerry has colonised a generation of users up and down the country.

What's more, you can now own one for less.

Last week, T-Mobile unveiled its 'Pay Once' package to the nation. For a one-off fee of £179.99, you can get your hands on a brand new Blackberry Pearl handset, together with unlimited internet and email for a year.

The phone also comes pre-loaded with all your favourite social networking applications, like Facebook and MySpace, allowing you to stay connected with loved ones while on the move.

Which smartphone is smartest?

The smartphone market is dominated by two major players.

In the red corner, the super-sleek iPhone has captured gadget-lovers hearts with its 'cool factor', while in the blue corner, the Blackberry has long been considered the iPhone's uglier, but email-savvy, older sister.

With the iPhone increasingly stepping on BlackBerry's toes, it is keen to break free from its business-only typecast, with the fun, pre-loaded applications designed to appeal to a wider, and perhaps younger, audience.

However, the problem with this technology malarkey is that it's very expensive. Both iPhone and Blackberry lovers fork out hefty premiums to take advantage of this 'all-in-one' package of phone calls, email and internet, and can easily find themselves paying £40+ per month for the privilege.

This new PAYG offering opens new doors for previously priced-out consumers, and at almost half the price of the much-coveted iPhone, getting connected doesn't need to cost the Earth.

But how do the two phones stack up?

In terms of aesthetics, it's worth briefly noting that the BlackBerry screen is about half the size of the iPhone. In addition, while the iPhone uses the faster 3G network to connect you to the internet, you'll have to settle for a slower GPRS service with BlackBerry.

Here's how the two deals compare:

As well as being half the price of the iPhone, on a day-to-day basis, T-Mobile's Talk and Text tariff proves cheaper if you're only using your phone occasionally. Both networks also come with special deals to make the most of your credit.

For example, if you top up by £10 during the week with T-Mobile, you'll bag an extra £10 credit to use however you like on the weekend.

Meanwhile, iPhone users can choose from a number of different tariffs, tailored to suit you depending on your needs. Top up by £10 on the Text Anytime tariff, and you'll get an extra 300 text messages at no extra charge.

Alternatively, that same £10 could bag you an extra 50 minutes to a range of international countries on its 'Your Country' tariff..

The iPhone also comes with free Wi-Fi access at over 6,000 hotspots up and down the country, which can prove useful when 3G access is a bit thin on the ground.

Of course, all good things...

...must come to an end, and both packages expire after one year. Once this is up, you'll have to fork out £10 a month to keep your iPhone running - and that's on top of on top of any top-ups you make.

BlackBerry hasn't finalised how much it will charge to continue its service, but you could always grab a new deal when the year is up.

T-Mobile is not the only network to offer a pay-as-you-go BlackBerry deal. Orange offers a similar BlackBerry for the cheaper price of £145. However, in order to enjoy the same unlimited email and internet, you'll have to fork out an extra £5 a month for the BlackBerry Internet Service.

Again, you can chose from a range of tariffs depending on the kind of user you are. Calls on its Racoon tariff are charged at a flat rate of 15p per minute, while you could get a bonus 300 texts by topping up £10 on its Dolphin tariff.

Remember, both deals don't include any calls and texts you make, so if you do like to natter as well as surf, you may be better off signing a 12 or 18 month contract - if you can stomach paying the inflated rental costs.

To the modern commuter, the BlackBerry may be as annoying as it is useful, but at least now it's a lot more affordable. Let's face it: £180 is a small price to pay for having a PC in your pocket...

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