As we look forward to the rest of 2013, rising smartphone penetration almost isnt even a question. With penetration in the UK as high as 89 per cent, if you believe BuzzCitys September figures, its simply a case of mopping up the final non-converts. And surely the final barrier, apart from a possibly technophobic older generation, has got to be the price of a new handset.

To that end, UK operator Vodafone is launching ‘Nearly New’, its scheme for offering pre-owned smartphones at a reduced price to its customers, both on pay-as-you-go and monthly contracts. These handsets have been returned by existing customers in very good condition, according to Vodafone, and will come with a one-year warranty, or two-year for pay monthly customers.

Vodafone says smartphone take-up among its new pay monthly customers is currently over 90 per cent – due to that up-front cost being rolled into a monthly contract price – but pay-as-you-go customers are playing catch up.

“Nearly New is designed to make it even more affordable for people, especially those who prefer pay-as-you-go services, to get their hands on a smartphone and start using the mobile internet,” said a Vodafone UK spokesperson. “It is part of our ambition to get the internet into the hands of our customers.”

With traditional operator revenues falling, it is of course in Vodafones interests to drive adoption of the mobile web – and therefore mobile data usage – as quickly as possible.