It's high time for an update on 3's Skypetasmogoric X-Series service, which I was lucky enough to try out in the flesh at the launch last month.

After the launch, and before any X-Series phones actually went on sale, techie types up and down the land wondered how much it would cost. Because no matter how swish and multi-talented these gizmos are, if they cost too much, no-one's going to bother.

In the event, a whole load of people are likely to bother. Gird your loins for a Tracy Island-sized stampede, folks: at a mere fiver a month plus £20 for the minimum voice and text package, this baby's going to fly off the shelves.

So, the details: the Silver package, which gives you Skype, unlimited internet access and services such as free web calls and instant messaging, costs £5 a month, plus £20 per month for the minimum voice and text tariff for the first six months (£35 thereafter).

The Gold package, which also lets you watch your home TV via a Slingbox (sold separately) and access content on your home PC using Orb, costs £10 a month plus £25, rising to £40 after six months.

The X-Series is initially available on two handsets: the Nokia N73 and Sony Ericsson W950i.

The pricing model is a bit of a departure for the UK mobile business, which usually charges a unit price for every megabyte of data downloaded.

It could provide a valuable boost for 3, currently the smallest operator in a fiercely competitive UK market where consumers are very price-savvy.