Today, Vodafone has launched the first Blackberry on a prepaid plan in Germany. Vodafone customers can now combine the prepaid plan “CallYa OpenEnd Smartphone”, which costs € 2.49 per month, with the new tariff option called “CallYa Smartphone Blackberry”, which costs additional € 9.99 per month. The new Blackberry prepaid plan offers unlimited mobile Internet access, email and Blackberry Messenger over the German Vodafone network.

For the brand’s first birthday, Telefónica Germany (O2) has relaunched the mobile advertising tariff called Netzclub. Instead of having the choice between three different tariff versions, customers can now choose between two versions, both with a mobile data flat rate tariff option for mobile Internet access over the network of Telefónica Germany. “Sponsored Surf Basic” offers monthly mobile Internet access for free with up to 100 MB data volume for transfers with HSPA speeds of up to 7.2 mbps (download). Alternatively, smart-phone users can surf the web with 300 MB data volume for transfers with HSPA speed with the “Sponsored Surf Pro” tariff which costs € 5.00 per month.

German operator E-Plus (Base) will launch its own tablet Base Tab in mid-June. The device will be available with a mobile data flat rate tariff for € 19.00 per month over a two-year period. In terms of figures, the Base Tab will cost € 216.00 because the regular monthly fee for the “Base Internet Flat” for accessing the Internet via GPRS or UMTS/HSDPA over the mobile network of E-Plus amounts to € 10.00 per month.

Consumers get an LTE connection with 10 GB of data volume per month for data transfer with the maximum speed of up to 7.2 mbps (download) for a monthly fee of € 29.90 over the first six months. After the first half year, Telefónica Germany raises the monthly for the LTE connection for private customers to € 39.90. Freelancers, self-employed and small businesses pay the same amount of money for their LTE connection, but get 12 GB of data volume per month for data transfers with maximum speed.

On June 18th, Vodafone will launch a specific pay as you go tariff for users of a Blackberry smart-phone. The new Blackberry prepaid tariff will be called “CallYa Blackberry Smartphone” and come with a fee of € 9.99 over 30 days. This tariff includes 200 MB of data volume per month for surfing the web, instant messaging, e-mail and the use of social networks. Customers with the “CallYa Blackberry Smartphone” will be able to use web and WAP services as well as the Blackberry Internet Service (BIS).

Telefónica Germany is one of the first telecommunication providers to introduce a rating system in Germany that assesses the environmental and social compatibility of mobile phones. The system is called Eco Index. As a result, and effective immediately, customers can find information on-line about the sustainability aspects of their preferred mobile phone. Starting in autumn, that information will also be available in shops.

If you buy a new iPhone 4 in Germany, you pay at least € 630.00 without plan (check my updated overview). But there is a way to save some money: At stores of the two German operators Telekom (T-Mobile) and O2 Germany you can buy arefurbished iPhone 4 which means the phone is not new, but supposedly as good as new. Compared to buying a new iPhone 4, you can save up to 20 percent when purchasing a refurbished one. On the other hand: There might be warranty and guarantee issues with a refurbished iPhone. Here is a short overview of how much refurbished iPhone 4 cost at Telekom and O2 stores.

Will it be Germany’s Lena again or is her move to try to re-enact last year’s victory in Oslo certain to fail? Will rather the bookies be right who think that Ireland’s pair of identical 19-year-old twin boys Jedward will win the palm with their upbeat number “Lipstick”? Or will French tenor Amaury Vassili get the most votes in the Eurovision Song Contest 2011 (ESC)? Tonight, finalists from 25 countries will take the stage in Duesseldorf and millions of viewers will cast their votes by fixed-line phone, mobile phone or SMS. But how much will it cost to cast your vote?

Low-cost provider Tchibo Mobil has launched a new pay as you go tariff for mobile phone users in Germany which replaces the two prepaid and postpaid plans Tchibo had offered over the past few years. Existing customers of Tchibo Mobil with the old 15-cent plan can switch to the new tariff offer on-line or by calling the hotline.

Here we go: The next wave of tablets rivaling the Apple iPad and iPad 2 hits stores. These new devices such as the Motorola Xoom, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, the HTC Flyer, the LG Optimus Pad and others come with different touch-screen sizes of 7 inches, 9 inches or 10 inches and are running on Android 2.0 at first and will get an update to Android 3.0 Honeycomb as soon as this Android version is officially released. Here is a short overview of four tablets are now or soon available at stores in Germany.