Core77

There's no such thing as a free lunch: Providing a glimpse at the kinds of innovative pricing Apple and its carriers may use to take market share, British carrier O2 will be giving iPhones away for free--provided you sign up for a two-year contract with at least $88 per month in fees. O2 will also be targeting businesses, with free phones given for every 24- or 36-month contract.

Was this strategy devised by O2, seeking to sign up more customers, or suggested by Apple as an aggressive bid to move more product, or a little of both? The business-targeting, in particular, seems to be Apple moving on Blackberries. Either way we find it interesting because Apple products have traditionally competed on design and emotion, not price. Is there a different Apple on the horizon?

via information week