LG Vortex to be free on contract with Verizon (update: T-Mobile's Optimus T free in black now, too)

Thought the Optimus S was a good deal at $50 on contract? Or the Optimus T at $30? Well, Verizon's got its own version of the LG Android device in the wings -- the rumored (and now official) Vortex -- and they'll be charging a big fat zero for it. Well, that's not quite true -- you'll need to pay $100 upfront, it seems, then get mailed a $100 debit card, but at the end of the day you're no better or worse financially than when you started. Of course, the big downside with this one is that it's expected to feature Bing in place of Google services, but if you can tolerate that, this could be a good way to get Android-ified on Big Red's airwaves for minimal cost.

[Thanks, Devon]

Update: Though you're paying $30 still for the fancy burgundy shade, it seems T-Mobile's running a special where you can get the black version for free -- which makes it an obvious choice over the considerably lower-end Comet.