Now that Telekom has disclosed its new iPhone plans and that Vodafone and O2 Germany have launched the iPhone as well, we get the entire picture. Reason enough for me to wrap it all up. Where can I buy an unlocked iPhone 4 or iPhone 3G S? What provider or retailer in Germany selling the iPhone 4 offers the best bargain? Where in Germany can I buy the iPhone 4 by monthly payments in case I am not able to put down the money at once? What are the best prepay price plans for iPhone users? Which mobile phone providers in Germany hand out these micro SIM cards that fit into the iPhone 4? Will I save money when I buy the iPhone 4 with SIM lock and plan? And where do I find network coverage maps for Germany? Here you will get the answers.

Telekom and Vodafone are selling the Apple iPhone 4 only with SIM or net lock and to customers who also choose one of their voice and mobile data price plans with a long minimum term commitment of 24 months. O2 Germany is the only network operator in the Germany, offering the iPhone 4 without SIM lock and without plan to its customers. The current iPhone model with 16 GB storage capacity costs € 649.00 at O2 Germany stores, the iPhone 4 32 GB costs € 769.00. This is one of the most attractive offers for people looking for an iPhone without SIM lock in order to use it with a prepaid SIM card. Here is an overview of iPhone 4 prepaid offers in Germany, including purchase prices for the Apple smart-phone at different shops and pay as you tariffs that come with a necessary micro SIM card.

In Germany Apple had partnered with only 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. Now, other operators such as Vodafone and O2 Germany may market the Apple iPhone in Germany. But don’t get your hopes up too soon and count on dropping purchase prices for the iPhone 4 in Germany because of more competitors selling the smart-phone – the iPhone 4 will remain high-priced. Here is an overview of the iPhone offers of Telekom, Vodafone, O2 Germany and other mobile phone providers and retailers in Germany.

Next Tuesday, October 19th, Vodafone Germany and SevenOne Intermedia GmbH launch a new pay as you go tariff called “Fyve”. The new prepaid price plan offers low rates of € 0.09 per minute for mobile phone calls within Germany as well as for international calls from Germany to 33 selected countries and of € 0.09 per message for texting. Checking voice mail in Germany is free of charge. Accessing the Internet by cell phone or smart-phone (or even by using a 3G web stick and a netbook or a notebook) with the Fyve prepaid plan is only possible when the customer has booked one of the two mobile data tariff options “Vielsurfer-Paket” for € 5.00 per month or “Flatrate-Paket” for € 10.00 per month.

For Apple fans it is breaking news: There is increasing indication that the Telekom will lose its exclusive rights to market the Apple iPhone in Germany with contract soon. According to German web magazine Macnotes, Vodafone will start selling the iPhone 4 in Germany on October 28th. Until recently, Vodafone had been offering its customers imported iPhone smart-phones. The iPhone 4 will be available at Vodafone stores only with net lock and with a plan with a long minimum term commitment of 24 months. That means people buying the iPhone 4 at a Vodafone store in Germany can only use it with a Vodafone SIM card and plan. Also: From today the German self-service wholesale retailer Metro offers for sale the iPhone 3G S without SIM lock and plan until October 6th.

With the iPad, Apple has not only launched a new product but also introduced a new device category – the tablet. There might have been similar devices of other manufacturers before – think of the Nokia 770 or the Nokia N800 – but the Apple iPad is the first tablet offering a great user experience and special content for consumation. At IFA 2010 we have seen lots of other tablets already available at stores or being launched soon. The crowd of so-called iPad killers is led by the Samsung Galaxy Tab which can also be used as a regular mobile phone. Names, features, and purchase prices – this article gives you an overview of tablets currently or soon available in Germany.

German operator Vodafone has introduced new mobile data tariffs and modified its existing price plans for Apple iPad users. First of all there is a new mobile data flat rate tariff for online sessions that last up to 24 hours for a charge of € 4.95 for every day of usage which is called “Basic Tagesflat 24h”. Second, the tariff “Basic Monatspaket” now offers unlimited access to the Internet for a monthly charge of € 14.95. And third, Vodafone has launched a new mobile data tariff option for iPad users that want to access the Internet with their device in another country.

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.

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.

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.