I popped into the local carphone warehouse and bought myself a N900 on O2 pay as you go for 440 pounds (10 pounds for a compulsory O2 sim credit). My three sim works fine on it. The simfree version was for 470 pounds.

is there a difference between the O2 pay as you go version as compared to simfree version (like vodafone special firmware)?

Re: UK O2 pay as you go or simfree?
 

No difference, N900's aren't branded to operators.

Curiosity, does yours play nokia video at start up ?

Re: UK O2 pay as you go or simfree?
 

From what I've read I think all the UK phones are the same in terms of firmware .. there are 2 uk variants though: standard uk 203 vesion and the vodafone 205 variant.

You can check which you have (should be 203) by going to System - setting - general - about product.

Uk variants got the latest firmware update after the global variants got theirs - to avoid this you can apparent flash to the global version as there is no difference.

Re: UK O2 pay as you go or simfree?
 

Two identical threads merged. rajil.s, do not start multiple threads on the same topic.

Re: UK O2 pay as you go or simfree?
 

@zarf yes it does play the nokia vide on bootup.

Re: UK O2 pay as you go or simfree?
 

yup, it is version 203.