German operator Telefónica O2 Germany has launched a new mobile data flat rate tariff for netbook and notebook users. The new flat rate tariff “Internet-pack Spezial” with a minimum term commitment of six months costs € 15.00 per month. The postpaid plan offers unlimited Internet access over the mobile network of Telefónica O2 Germany with 1 GB for faster data transfers.

There is a new prepaid tariff with cost cap in the German market. Mobile phone provider Fonic, a subsidiary of operator O2 Germany, has launched a cost limit to its pay as you tariff from which new and existing customers benefit. From now on, Fonic customers will not pay more than € 40.00 over a 30-day period for mobile phone calls and text messaging (SMS) within Germany. Until this cost limit has been reached, Fonic charges its customers € 0.09 for every calling minute and every test message sent.

Dear readers, we wish you a happy new year! As you have noticed we took a little break around Christmas and new year’s eve. Now we are back and will keep on offering you new information on low-priced pay as you go tariffs for mobile phone calls and mobile Internet access by smart-phone, netbook or laptop and new reviews on the latest handsets available in Germany. But first, let us look back at the most important developments in the German prepaid market in the past year.

The pay as you go tariff “Lidl Mobile” of grocery retailer Lidl ist quite interesting: With the “Lidl Mobile” price plan mobile phone users pay € 0.09 per minute for mobile phone calls and € 0.09 per for each text message sent within Germany until they have reached a billing amount of € 40.00 - from then on Lidl Mobile will not be charged for further mobile phone calls and SMS until the next billig cycle begins. Upcoming Thursday, December 9th, Lidl will add mobile data flat rate tariffs and a 3G web stick for notebook and netbook users to its “Lidl Mobile” offer.

Prepaid price plans with monthly cost cap for selected services help mobile phone users to save money. Actually, these pay-as-you price plans equal flat rate tariffs with one big difference: Customers with a cost cap tariff pay for the first and every following call or text message (SMS) until they have reached a certain invoice amount. On the other hand, mobile phone users with a regular flat rate tariff pay a certain amount of money for certain calls, SMS or other services regardless of whether they actually make lots of phone calls or send many text messages - the monthly lump-sum will be due even when the customers does not make any call at all during the billing cycle. Thus, a regular flat rate tariff might not pay off for consumers. Here is an overview of pay-as-you-go tariffs in Germany that come with a monthly cost limit.

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.

More and more people switch from a cell phone to a smart-phone because they also want to use apps and on-line services when being on their way. However, many of these people buying a smart-phone for the first time do not know how to use such a device. For example, they do not consider that in most cases they it is not sufficient to just buy the smart-phone – they should book a mobile data tariff option of their mobile phone provider to avoid generating a high mobile phone bill. Smart-phones – or better: apps running on the smart-phone – “want” to be connected to the web the whole time. One way of excluding this cost trap is to book a mobile data flat rate tariff. German operator O2 Germany has launched new cost limit features that protect inexperienced smart-phone users from high mobile phone bills when accessing the Internet over the O2 Germany network via GPRS or UMTS.

German coffee house chain Tchibo is offering free community calls over a two-year period again. New Subscribers of the prepaid or postpaid plan Tchibo Mobil buying the prepaid starter package including the SIM card and a starting balance of € 1.00 for € 9.99 between October 12th and December 6th will not be charged for calling other Tchibo Mobil users over the following 24 months. Each mobile phone user may buy up to four more SIM cards at Tchibo stores for family members or friends. For a second to fifth Tchibo Mobil SIM card the buyer pays € 5.00 each. The prepaid starter package with two for Tchibo Mobil SIM cards is also available at Kaisers Tengelmann, Kaufland or Real supermarkets for € 14.90.