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.

German operator Vodafone has launched a new 3G web stick offer under its discount brand o.tel.o. Smart-phone, netbook and notebook users can choose between four different tariff options with 9 minutes to 9 days for charges between € 0.19 and € 9.99 for accessing the Internet over the Vodafone network in Germany via GPRS or UMTS. The maximum data transfer speed is reduced to 3.6 mbps (download). Once the booked billing cycle has expired or the data volume of 500 MB or 1 GB – according to the tariff chosen – has been used up, the web session stops automatically and the smart-phone or notebook user has to book another mobile Internet session if he or she wants to stay connected to the web.

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 discount providers Blau and Simyo will introduce new features for their pay as you tariffs in November: From November 1st on, the charges for mobile phone calls, texting (SMS) and accessing the Internet over the network of operator E-Plus in Germany will be limited to € 39.00 over a 30-day period. This new cost limit feature (Blau is calling it “Kostenschutz”, Simyo is calling it “Pille fürs Handy”) will be available for new customers ordering a prepaid starter package of Blau or Simyo. Customers already using a prepaid SIM card of Blau or Simyo must activate this feature by dialing the service number 1155 in order to limit their maximum costs for calls, texting and mobile Internet access.

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.

German network operator Vodafone is offering three new Android smart-phones to prepaid customers. Buyers of a “CallYa OpenEnd Internet” prepaid starter package can choose between the LG GT540 for € 149.90, the HTC Wildfire for € 199.90 and the Sony Ericsson X10 Mini Pro for € 249.90. While the LG GT540 and the Sony Ericsson X10 Mini Pro are available for similar retail prices at other stores in Germany, the HTC Wildfire offer of Vodafone is quite attractive. However, at the moment interested mobile phone users can only pre-order the HTC Wildfire at the Vodafone website and will have to wait until the end of November for the new phone being delivered by Vodafone. The LG GT540 and the Sony Ericsson X10 Mini Pro are in stock at Vodafone stores.

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.

German broadcasting station RTL has reduced the purchase price for its prepaid web stick RTL Surfstick. In October, netbook or notebook users can buy the 3G modem with prepaid SIM card for € 14.95 plus additional € 5.00 for delivery. The prepaid package includes a starting balance of € 10.00 for accessing the Internet over the mobile network of operator Vodafone. Mobile Internet users just buying the prepaid SIM card of RTL with a starting balance of € 10.00 pay € 9.95 for it plus the charge for delivery. Customers can choose whether they want to have a regular SIM card for using it in a web stick or rather a micro SIM card for using it in the Apple iPad WiFi + 3G.