How to Buy the Apple iPhone 4 in Germany

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How to Buy the Apple iPhone 4 in Germany

25 June 2010 26 Comments

(This article has been updated on June 10th, 2011)

Please also read: How to Buy the White iPhone 4 in Germany

iPhone 4, Picture: Phone Guide Germany

Germany had been one of the few countries in the world where Apple partnered with one operator for marketing the iPhone. Telekom Deutschland (former T-Mobile) has had the right to sell the Apple iPhone in Germany exclusively since the launch of the first iPhone in 2007. Telekom offered the iPhone with special voice and mobile data plans with a long term commitment of 24 months and with SIM lock only. That means, people having bought an iPhone at a Telekom store cannot use their new smart-phone with a SIM card of another provider. Now, other operators such as Vodafone and O2 Germany market the Apple iPhone in Germany - sometimes even unlocked versions of the iPhone 4 without plan.

Here is an overview of the new iPhone 4 and iPhone 3G S offers of Telekom, Vodafone and O2 Germany, Apple itself and other mobile phone providers and retailers in Germany. If you don’t care about reading the entire article you will find a short summary with all iPhone 4 purchase prices at its end. If you are looking for the iPhone offer of a specific operator or retailer in Germany, please go to:

Telekom offer
Vodafone offer
O2 Germany offer
Apple offer
other retailers’ offers

Buying the Apple iPhone 4 at a Telekom shop

Telekom (T-Mobile) offers both versions of the iPhone 4 with 16 GB and 32 GB storage capacity for purchase prices between € 1.00 and € 299.95 to its customers entering or renewing a long term contract. The 32 GB version of the iPhone 4 is available for € 1.00 with a “Complete Mobile XL” price plan with a monthly charge of € 99.95 over a period of two years. With this price plan users can make unlimited calls to all fixed and mobile networks in Germany, send 3,000 text messages (SMS) and get unlimited access to the Internet via GPRS, EDGE, UMTS or HSPA over the Telekom mobile network and over Telekom WiFi hotspots. With the price plan “Complete XS”, which offers unlimited calls to landlines and to Telekom mobiles on the weekend, 40 SMS and a flat rate tariff for mobile internet access with 300 MB for faster data transfers via UMTS for € 39.95 per month, the iPhone 4 16 GB costs € 199.95 and the iPhone 4 32 GB 299.95.

Currently, the iPhone 3G S 8 GB is available at Telekom stores for purchase prices between € 1.00 and € 129.95 with one of the “Complete” price plans with 24-months minimum term commitment. Note that all iPhone smart-phones bought at Telekom stores come with a SIM lock and cannot not be used with a SIM card of another mobile phone provider (unless you jailbreak your iPhone, that is). Telekom Deutschland is not marketing prepaid versions of the Apple iPhone 4 or the iPhone 3G S.

Buying the Apple iPhone 4 at a Vodafone shop

Vodafone is offering both versions of the iPhone 4 with 16 GB and 32 GB storage capacity for purchase prices between € 149.90 and € 399.90 to its customers entering or renewing a long term contract. At Vodafone shops the iPhone 4 is also available without plan for € 629.90 (16 GB) or € 735.95 (32 GB).

The iPhone 4 16 GB is available for € 149.90 with a “SuperFlat Internet Allnet” price plan with a monthly charge of € 99.95 over a period of two years. With this price plan users can make unlimited calls to all fixed and mobile networks in Germany, send 3,000 text messages (SMS) and get unlimited access to the Internet via GPRS, EDGE, UMTS or HSPA over the Vodafone network. With the price plan “SuperFlat Internet Wochenende” (€ 24.95 per month) which offers unlimited calls to landlines and to Vodafone mobiles on the weekend and a mobile data flat rate tariff for mobile internet access, the iPhone 4 16 GB costs € 299.90 and the iPhone 4 32 GB 399.90.

iPhones bought at Vodafone stores in Germany come with a net lock and cannot be used with a SIM card of a mobile phone provider using another operator’s network.

Buying the Apple iPhone 4 at an O2 Germany shop

O2 Germany is the only German operator selling the iPhone 4 without SIM lock and without plan. The iPhone 4 32 GB costs € 799.00, the iPhone 4 16 GB costs € 679.00. The iPhone 3G S 8 GB is available for € 579.00. O2 Germany offers its customers a finance purchase with single rates over 24 months (“My Handy”). The first down payment is always € 79.00.

Buyers can also book one of the two voice and data plans with monthly charges of € 45.00 or € 60.00 with either a short minimum term commit of one month or a long term commitment of 24 months. The voice and mobile data price plans of O2 Germany for iPhone users include flat rate tariffs for calls within the O2 Germany network, for texting and for mobile data services.

Buying the Apple iPhone 4 at Apple Stores

Apple has started selling the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 3G S without SIM lock at its own stores in Germany. Purchase prices amount to € 739.00 for the iPhone 4 32 GB, to € 629.00 for the iPhone 4 16 GB and to € 519.00 for the iPhone 3G S 8 GB. There are four Apple stores in Germany: in Munich (at Rosenstraße), in Frankfort (at Große Bockenheimer Straße), in Hamburg (at Alstertal) and in Oberhausen (at Centroallee). And, of course, you can order your new iPhone at the Apple web store.

Buying the Apple iPhone 4 at other retailers

Mobile phone users will also find the Apple iPhone 4 at shops of Mobilcom-Debitel (also at the consumer electronics retailers Saturn and Media Markt) and at shops of The Phone House. Mobilcom-Debitel and The Phone House are service providers and sell the iPhone 4 only with long term contracts of Telekom, Vodafone and O2 Germany - so why not go to the operator itself?

Several German web stores are selling iPhone 4 phones without SIM lock and without contract. German web store my iStore is selling the Apple iPhone 4 16 GB for € 699.00, the Apple iPhone 4 32 GB for € 799 and the iPhone 3G S 8 GB for € 579.00 without SIM lock and without plan. Buyers at Amazon have to pay € 735.00 for the iPhone 4 16 GB or € 878.00 for the iPhone 4 32 GB.

Summary: Purchase Prices of iPhone 4 in Germany

Telekom offers the iPhone 4 with SIM lock for purchase prices between € 1.00 and € 299.95 with voice and data plans with monthly charges between € 39.95 and € 99.95 and long term commitment of 24 months.
Vodafone sells the iPhone 4 with SIM lock for purchase prices between € 49.90 and € 349.90 with voice and data plans with monthly charges between € 24.90 and € 99.90 and long term commitment of 24 months.
E-Plus (Base) is selling the Apple iPhone 4 16 GB for € 699.00, the Apple iPhone 4 32 GB for € 799 and the iPhone 3G S 8 GB for € 579.00 (without SIM lock).
At O2 Germany stores, the iPhone 4 is available without SIM lock for purchase prices of € 649.00 (16 GB) or € 769.00 (32 GB). Buyers can also book one of the two voice and data plans with monthly charges of € 45.00 or € 75.00 and a long term commitment of 24 months. Then they pay purchase prices between € 49.00 and € 299.00 for the iPhone 4 or of € 0.00 or € 49.00 for the iPhone 3G S 8 GB.
The most attractive offer for an iPhone without SIM lock comes from Apple itself: Here, purchase prices amount to € 739.00 for the iPhone 4 32 GB, to € 629.00 for the iPhone 4 16 GB and to € 519.00 for the iPhone 3G S 8 GB.

Written by: Bjoern

Tags: Apple, Berlin, E-Plus, Flat Rate, Gadgets, iPhone, Price Plan, Telefónica Germany (O2), Telekom, Touch-Screen, UMTS, Vodafone, WiFi

26 Comments »

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# 26 June 2010 at 2:00 am

Hans D Puehse said:

Nice write-up. I do have a question: I will be moving to Germany from the U.S.A. and live there for 2 months. I already have an iPhone 4 with AT&T (but can suspend the contract until I return to the U.S.) Is there a German carrier who I can sign up with for a voice and data plan? Would that carrier agree to unlock my phone so that I can use a micro-SIM card from a German carrier? If anybody knows the answer to these questions, I would appreciate hearing from them. Thanks.

# 22 July 2010 at 9:15 pm

Bjoern (author) said:

I think the difficult (or expensive) part will be to unlock your iPhone and I also think this must be done by AT&T. There are discount brands such as Blau (www.blau.de) and Simyo (www.simyo.de) offering prepaid micro SIM cards for the iPhone 4. I have to admit I do not know anything about mobile phone providers unlocking a phone with a SIM lock from other operators. Or you must wait for a jailbreak for the iPhone 4: http://bit.ly/c0UAdu .

# 22 July 2010 at 10:35 pm

Diminished Value Car said:

# 23 July 2010 at 11:52 am

Alex said:

It’s so so much more expensive than in our country. I am killing my plan of buying an IP4 without SIM lock from Germany now.

# 10 April 2011 at 3:10 am

ella said:

Hi, I am interested in buying your product and i am willing to pay € 149.90 Please kindly contact me on my e-mail .angel.ella21@ymail.com

# 11 April 2011 at 3:23 pm

debin said:

my country doesnt sell simlock phone but i want one coz i think they come more cheaper,i will be going switzerland tommorow for a week, can anyone plz tell me how to purchase a sim lock phone.is their any documentation needed?will their be any kind of restriction.?

# 15 May 2011 at 1:12 pm

Roman Brosowski said:

@debin As I see you do not live in Switzerland. Therefore you can only buy a prepaid cards. That’s makes it difficult, as Swisscom, Sunrise and Orange do not sell these phones with Prepay cards anymore. Maybe you can ask in a shop directly wheater they will still sell it as prepay bundle or not. Without any contract you have to pay about 900 CHF for the white iPhone 4 32 GB phone. In case you get a version with contract you need to carry an official pass because SIM cards has to be registered in Switzerland.

# 15 May 2011 at 3:42 pm

Bjoern (author) said:

Hi Roman – great to hear from you and thanks a lot for your answer Bjoern

# 15 May 2011 at 7:00 pm

Required said:

Is there a way to buy an iPhone with a contract but, with a contract that is 6 months or a year?

# 24 May 2011 at 8:54 pm

Bjoern (author) said:

Actually, I haven’t found one. What comes near to what you are looking for is the iPhone offer of O2. This operators sells the iPhone 4 and iPhone 3G S also with O2 Blue Flex price plans with a short minimum term of one month. But you have to pay the iPhone purchase price in monthly rates over two years. Here’s the link:

http://www.o2online.de/nw/handys/iphone/iphone.html

Check also my updated overview for other iPhone offers:

http://www.phone-guide-germany.com/buy-apple-iphone-4-germany/3818/

I guess you are asking because you want to buy an iPhone at a subsidized purchase price (actually it is a finance purchase). In any case, in the end it might be cheaper to buy a new iPhone separately and then look for a price plan that really suits your needs.

# 28 May 2011 at 10:57 am

hemanth said:

Hi, I am interested in buying your product and i am willing to pay € 149.90 Please kindly contact me on my e-mail

# 4 June 2011 at 10:23 pm

Bjoern (author) said:

Sorry – I am not selling anything, I am just offering information for free on the mobile phone market in Germany

# 4 June 2011 at 10:27 pm

matthew said:

Hi, I have just bought an iPhone 4 from the Apple online store (unlocked). Can you please recommend the best tariff and operator in Germany and without a minimum contract time?

Any help would be great.

# 14 June 2011 at 8:26 pm

Bjoern (author) said:

Please check this overview of pay as you go tariffs with mobile data tariff options:

http://www.phone-guide-germany.com/overview-prepaid-plans-germany/4299/

The prepaid tariffs of Fonic, Lidl Mobile or Tchibo Mobil (all network of O2 Germany) or of Blau and Simyo (both E-Plus network) might be a good choice. But I cannot say which of them the best tariff is.

# 14 June 2011 at 11:49 pm

Hanine Hout said:

Hi…I am currently in Germany and would like to buy an iphone 4 (16 GB)to use in Lebanon. Would it work over there? Thank you.

# 1 August 2011 at 9:58 am

khashiballa said:

hi…i want to come germany for 3 month and buy iphone4 with contract when i come back to my home what happened to contract?can i keep my iphone?

# 2 August 2011 at 8:06 pm

Steph said:

Hi, I will shortly get an iphone from a friend which will be an Orange iphone (Uk). I will get a Pay as you go sim card for it. Now I am moving to Germany next year for two years and I would like to use the phone out there, again with an pay as you go provider. I am happy to go with Deutsche Telekom but Orange told me that if I get the phone unlocked and go with another provider, as soon as I upload things on it, it will lock itself back to Orange again. Is this right? Whihc provider can I use in Germany?
Thanks

# 6 October 2011 at 10:25 pm

guillermo said:

Hola estoy viajando a berlin y quisiera saber donde comprar un iphone4 16 o 32gb y si me sirbe para argentina desde ya muchas gracias

# 24 October 2011 at 1:49 am

mike said:

Pleseee, help!!
You think this iphone is sim free, for this price?
http://www.base.be/en/mobile/handsets/catalogue/iphone4-8gb

# 10 November 2011 at 4:54 pm

Bjoern (author) said:

That is an iPhone 4 offer of Base Belgium, not Base Germany. In Germany, Base is offering the iPhone 4 8GB with SIM card and Mein Base price plan for € 528.00.

# 12 November 2011 at 11:00 pm

Prithvi said:

I already have an O2 plan in Germany (which was too expensive in any case though that’s a different story). I am keen to buy an unlocked iPhone 4GS Can I do so at the discounted rates as if not the full price is cheaper in India so may as well get it here Let me know please

# 4 December 2011 at 3:35 pm

Bjoern (author) said:

I am not sure what you mean by “discounted rates” – check this more up-to-date overview of iPhone prices in Germany: http://www.phone-guide-germany.com/iphone-4s-buy-apple-smart-phone-germany/6338/

# 8 December 2011 at 7:13 am

Hysa said:

My friend forgive me locked IPHONE.
He by it with contract, but I can not use this IPHONE with my SIM card.
How can I unlock it and how does it cost to unlock it?
Best regards,
Hysa

# 11 January 2012 at 10:18 am

Prem said:

Hi I will be coming to Germany for 2 months and wanted to buy iphone 4 with contract, when I come back to my home in India what happend to contract? can I keep iphone with me?

# 21 January 2012 at 6:46 am

Bjoern (author) said:

You can keep your iPhone when you actually succeed in closing a contract. Usually, providers only accept postpaid customers with a banking account and postal address in Germany.

# 27 January 2012 at 6:07 pm