The new micro SIM card of discount provider Maxxim is a good alternative to the Apple iPad micro SIM card offers of Telekom Deutschland (T-Mobile). The Maxxim mobile data flat rate tariff “maxxim data” costs € 19.95 per month over a period of 24 months. After that two-year period the monthly charge will rise to € 29.95. There is no long minimum term commitment, though, the subscriber can withdraw from the mobile data plan contract within four weeks. In addition to the monthly fees, Maxxim charges new subscribers an one-time set-up fee of € 24.95. iPad users can order the micro SIM card with the mobile data price plan “maxxim data” at the Maxxim web store at www.maxxim.de.

German mobile phone provider O2 Germany is offering a new prepaid 3G surf stick to netbook and notebook users which supports HSPA for mobile data downloads with up to 7.2 mbps and uploads of up to 5.76 mbps. A prepaid starter package including the new UMTS surf stick Huawei E1750 and a SIM card with O2o price plan can be bought at O2 Germany stores or ordered at the O2 Germany web store for € 29.99 plus € 3.95 for delivery. Before, prepaid customers of O2 Germany got 3G surf sticks that support download speeds of just up to 3.6 mbps.

Mobile phone users can now order the new Symbian 3 smart-phone Nokia N8 in Germany. At the Nokia web store it is available for € 479.00, but it will not be delivered before September. Other web stores in Germany alreday list the Nokia N8 as well. Here purchase prices start at € 440.00 without contract. This week I met Nokia in Berlin and had the opportunity to take a first look at the N8 and I want to share my first impressions of the smart-phone running on the new operating system Symbian 3. For Nokia fans going to buy a new smart-phone with good multi-media, social networking and messaging features it could be worthwhile to wait for two more months because the N8 shows that Nokia is back on the right track.

The HTC Desire is certainly one of the best Android smart-phones available right now. It offers a large number of functions and applications as well as a powerful processor, and it is easily operated. On the other hand, camera, music player and battery performance could be better. German operator Vodafone is selling the HTC Desire for € 479.90 without contract. At O2 Germany stores the HTC Desire is available for € 509.00. At Telekom (T-Mobile) stores buyers will have to pay € 449.00 for the Android smart-phone when he or she does not agree to a new cell phone plan with long term commitment. German web stores offer the HTC Desire for purchase prices beginning at around € 450.00.

Discount provider Bildmobil has launched a new mobile data price plan for netbook and notebook users in Germany. The new prepaid plan offers 3 GB of data traffic over a period of 90 days for a monthly fee of € 39.99. As soon as the notebook user reaches the traffic limit, the mobile Internet access via GPRS or UMTS will be cut off for the remaining days or weeks of the three months period. The prepaid starter package of Bildmobil including a prepaid SIM card and a starting balance of € 10.00 is available at www.bildmobil.de for € 14.95.

With 1&1 there is one more provider in Germany offering micro SIM cards with postpaid price plans for voice and mobile data services to users of the smart-phone iPhone 4 or the tablet PC iPad. New customers can choose between a voice and mobile Internet flat rate for the new Apple smart-phone and two mobile data flat rate tariffs for the Apple tablet PC. In each case the subscriber can decide on a long term commitment of 24 months or a short term commitment of just three months. New customers agreeing to a long term commitment will benefit from a discount. The SIM cards and voice and mobile data price plans of 1&1 are available at www.1und1.de, during the ordering process the user can select the desired micro SIM card format for iPhone 4 and iPad.

German operator Vodafone has launched a new prepaid price plan that offers low rates for mobile phone calls within Germany and for international calls from Germany to other countries. With the prepaid price plan “CallYa International” Vodafone customers can make mobile phone calls from Germany to 80 other countries for rates as low as € 0.04 per minute. The “Callya International” prepaid starter package including the SIM card and credit of € 11.99 is available at Vodafone stores. There is a monthly fee of € 1.99.

Since June 24th the Apple smart-phone iPhone 4 is available in Germany. As before, the operator Telekom (T-Mobile) has the exclusive marketing rights for the new Apple iPhone in this country. Telekom is offering both versions of the iPhone 4 with 16 GB and 32 GB storage capacity for subsidized purchase prices between € 1.00 and € 399.95 only to customers entering or renewing a contract with a term commitment of 24 months. But one month after the iPhone 4 has gone on sale there are some mobile phone providers in Germany offering micro SIM cards with prepaid price plans to iPhone 4 users – here is a short overview.