Vodafone sets price for Dell netbook bundle

Vodafone has released partial UK pricing details for its upcoming mobile-broadband bundle, which combines data connectivity with Dell's Inspiron Mini 9 netbook.

The exact date of the bundle's release remains unclear, but Vodafone said on Thursday that it would become available in mid-October. Various plans are likely to be made available, but only one has thus far been detailed: on a 24-month contract, costing £25 a month, the netbook will be free and 1GB of data usage per month will be included.

Over the life of the plan, a customer would effectively be paying £600. That's twice as much as Dell's price for the netbook and, of course, it includes a built-in SIM and data connectivity.

Vodafone's Dell bundle, which was announced two weeks ago, will be the first in the UK to include a cellular data module built into the netbook. Other operators' netbook deals have thus far meant using an external USB modem to gain 3G/HSPA connectivity.

Dell's Inspiron Mini 9 has a glossy, 8.9-inch, 1,024-by-600 pixel screen, and weighs 1.035kg. It will be made available through the Vodafone website and stores, and through the operator's corporate-account managers.