There have been lots of rumors about the tablet PC Samsung Galaxy Tab. Now, we know: It is real. Today, Samsung has presented the Galaxy Tab at the consumer electronics show IFA 2010 in Berlin. It will be available in October at all four operators’ stores in Germany with and without plan. Without plan the purchase price for the Galaxy Tab with 16 GB storage capacity will be probably less than the recommended retail price of € 799.00. Later on, there will also be a 32 GB version of the mobile device. I had the opportunity to take a closer look at the Android 2.2 (Froyo) tablet yesterday night. Here is a short review of the Galaxy Tab.

Is that another iPhone? Nope, it just looks like one. It might have been coincidence that Samsung invited me to come Munich to a presentation of the Samsung Galaxy S I9000 smart-phone the very same day that Apple launched the iPhone 4 in Germany. But I don’t believe this – the Samsung Galaxy S seems to be too much a copy of the Apple iPhone. But, heck, I am not accusing Samsung of plagiarism. Lots of cell phone manufacturers have picked up the ideas and concepts that made the iPhone a success story. Since its launch the Apple phone has changed the smart-phone world dramatically and the users have benefited from that. The Samsung Galaxy S is just one example of how simple to use a smart-phone with such a broad range of features can be. Here is my short review of the new Samsung smart-phone and some information on how to buy it in Germany at a comparably low purchase price.

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.

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.

The Android 2.1 (Eclair) smart-phone Vodafone 845 is now available at Vodafone stores in Germany. Due to its comparably low purchase price of € 129.90 without a Vodafone contract, the Vodafone 845 is a touch-screen smart-phone for new starters or for penny pinchers. As a contract phone with a “Superflat Internet” plan, purchase prices of the Vodafone 845 begin at € 1.00 at Vodafone stores. Except for at the Vodafone web store, it is also possible to buy the new Android smart-phone with a Vodafone prepaid SIM (“CallYa”) for € 139.80. The prepaid starter package includes the cell phone, the Vodafone SIM card and calling credit of € 10.00.

With the O2o Special Edition, we have seen a cell phone price plan with a short minimum term and a cost limit of € 40.00 per month for mobile phone calls and SMS before. Now, a similar prepaid offer of O2 Germany subsidiary Fonic is available at Lidl supermarkets only. This price plan called “Lidl Mobile” is quite attractive for mobile phone users: Actually, one can speak of the Fonic prepaid price plan as a flat rate tariff since subscribers will not pay more than the fixed amount per month for mobile phone calls and for sending text messages (SMS) within Germany.

E-Plus brand Ay Yildiz has cut rates for international mobile phone calls from Turkey to Germany. Users of the “KolayKart” prepaid price plan pay € 0.49 per minute for such mobile phone calls and € 0.29 for incoming calls when being in Turkey until the end of August. The regular rates of the “KolayKart” tariff for these mobile phone calls in Turkey are € 1.49 and € 0.69 per minute. For sending text messages from Turkey to Germany “KolayKart” users are charged € 0.29.