While American carriers are lengthening upgrade cycles and pushing people off unlimited data plans if they want a subsidized device, companies across the pond are actually looking to get customers to trade up more often. Vodafone's Red Hot isn't quite as flighty as JUMP, but the basic premise is the same. Rather than buy the latest high-end smartphone, you rent it. Then when the time comes, you simply trade it in for the new latest and greatest. While Phones4u lets you switch handsets impulsively every six months, Vodafone goes with a more reasonable yearly upgrade cycle. With the Red Hot plan Vodafone customers get a new smartphone, unlimited minutes, unlimited texts and "loads of internet," though we'd argue 2GB hardly qualifies as "loads." Pricing will vary based on handset, but we can tell you a Galaxy S III will currently set you back £47 a month. If you've still got some lingering questions hit up the source links.

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Vodafone Red Hot rents you a phone, offers upgrades every 12 months originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Nov 2012 16:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.