Walmart Offer 'Free' BlackBerry Bold, With Heavy Contract Prices

If the $299.99 sticker price on the new AT&T BlackBerry Bold is too rich for you right now, Walmart might have the answer.  They're currently offering the new smartphone – which we glowingly reviewed here - free, after a mail-in rebate.  Of course, there's always a catch to these deals, and unsurprisingly they collar you with the monthly fees.

As well as requiring a two-year commitment to at least the $79.99 per month 1350 Rollover plan, to qualify for the 'free' Bold you also need to sign up to the $30 BlackBerry Personal plan and AT&T's $20 unlimited messaging plan.  That works out to at least $129 per month, which over the course of the contract means you're paying at least $3,096.

AT&T, meanwhile, will charge you $299.99 for the BlackBerry Bold, but don't insist on the high monthly tariff or the unlimited messaging option.  That means you can pick the $39.99 plan, together with the $30 BlackBerry Personal option, for a total contract price of $1,978.76.  Expensive, yes – and you're getting fewer included minutes, messages and other goodies for your money – but if you're not a heavy user then it works out cheaper than Walmart.

[via Gear Diary]