If nobody offers the camera phone you want on the time plan you want - or if you're already tied to a calling plan - you can always fork out for a sim-free phone. Mind you, you may need a pretty big fork, but sim-free has its advantages.
SIMFREE PROs
A sim-free mobile phone will leave you free of any obligation to make calls or send text. Moreover, you can use a sim card from whatever operator you like. That is, your phone won't be 'locked' to any one call provider. This is a valuable freedom, and can be useful if you travel abroad and want to buy a local sim card to save money on calls.
Buying sim free, you're also free to choose whatever handset you fancy. Most calling plans offer a limited choice of phones. If you opt for pay-as-you-go instead of a prepaid plan, your handset choice is even more restricted. Buy the phone sim free and you can choose any phone you like.
(Just in case you're still not sure what a sim card is, it's the fingernail-sized memory card that holds the operator’s software. A sim-free phone is a handset you buy entirely on its own, without any calling plan attached.)
SIMFREE CONs
If you buy a mobile phone sim free, that certainly means you can choose the phone and operator you want. You're also free of monthly payments.
...Or are you?
If you have to borrow money for the latest video phone with bluetooth and a radio, you'll still be tied to paying installments. And you can't make any calls! 
You also forfeit the bargain handset prices - down to completely free - that operators offer to lure you into a time plan. 
With all the new phone models coming out, there's a huge choice of ever more wondrously versatile handsets. The customer (you) is king. Many operators are offering ridiculous discounts to beat the competition.
Of course, you may already have a sim card. Maybe somebody trod on your old phone. Or the model you want is not available on the plan you want. Just pop the old sim card into the new phone and continue calling.
Sim cards are a standard size and will fit most phones, at least in the UK. I've fitted the same Orange UK pay-as-you-go card into five different mobiles without trouble. A Sony Ericsson t68i, a Sony Ericsson T610, a Palm Treo 600, a Nokia 6600 and a Sony Ericsson S700.
A phone on its own is the way to go if you're a gadget freak! No need to wait a year while your call time plan runs out. Mobile phones are evolving too fast. Buy sim-free and you can try out the latest multi-megapixel camera phone here and now.
Sim free may seem the most expensive way to buy a mobile phone. But a pre-pay contract can end up costing you a tidy sum, even when the handset comes for free. You may find you have to pay for many more minutes or texts than you actually use, particularly if there's no rollover.
Avoid two year contracts. They usually cost you more in the end than a shorter stint. Do your sums before committing yourself. Add the cost of the phone to the monthly charge multiplied by the number of months in the contract. You could come up with a few surprises.
If you opt for sim-free, what's to prevent you from selling your machine on Ebay in a month or two? By that time it won't have lost much value, and unlocked phones sell at a premium. Replace it with an even newer handset. You might even end up in pocket!
(c) Valerie Beeby 2007
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