Tesco Mobile customers are shunning its higher-end handsets in favour of a cheap and cheerful £18.99 mobile angled as ideal for "forgetful" (read: sloshed) party-goers.

The VX1i Party Phone is currently one of the operator's best selling handsets with sales of over 10,000 units in the 2 weeks leading up to the New Year alone.

The handset, which looks like it could be a Hop-On effort, although that is purely speculative, is offered on a SIM-free basis, and according to the CEO of Tesco Mobile was developed as "an affordable replacement, temporary phone or alternative to a more expensive phone".

Admitting the phone's success has taken it by surprise, Tesco suggests that it is in fact skinny jeans that may have helped lead to the sales success for the teeny, slimline handset. ("69% of Brits find it uncomfortable to have a large mobile phone in their pocket!").

Alternatively, perhaps consumers fed up with the high cost, generally poor battery life and over-complicated feature sets of modern phones are chosing to de-tech with a more simple option.

What do you think? Have you bought a VX1i? Have your say in the comments box below.

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