Orange gets rid of 'unlimited' in new iPhone 4 tariff

Orange iPhone 4 tariffs have been rejigged, no longer including the term 'unlimited' when referring to the amount of mobile data you use.

Orange used the term in its previous promotion, alongside a 'fair use cap' of 750MB a month, our sister site ZDNet UK reports.

It follows companies such as Vodafone and O2, which have released iPhone 4 tariffs with set limits of mobile data per month.

Deals for the iPhone in previous years allowed users an unlimited amount of data, but this has changed due to some users using a particularly large amount of data, causing strain on the networks.

"It's worth noting that [around] 1 per cent of our mobile customers use [around] 20 per cent of our network capacity," an Orange spokesperson explained to ZDNet.

"This move will help us address that imbalance to ensure a fair resource for everyone, with data bundles on offer for those who wish to download more."

On prices the main change is the addition of a free iPhone 4 on a £50 per month two-year contract. This would really only be worthwhile if use an awful lot of calls and data. To sweeten the deal, though, you'll get free Orange sat-nav and 50 picture messages.

Otherwise you can get the iPhone 4 from £35 a month on 18- and 24-month contracts, but the cheaper the monthly cost the more you'll have to pay up front.

If you're willing to pay £480, you can forgo a contract altogether with a pay as you go iPhone 4, which has the advantage of being able to sell it next year and get the iPhone 5. For a monthly £10 top-up you get a data allowance of 250MB and 300 free texts.

Here's a list of the best iPhone 4 deals compared.

So what do you think of these Orange tariffs, and how they compare to the other networks? With pay as you go smart phones more common, is it worth tying yourself to a contract any more? Let us know what you think.