Since 1 July 2010, new rules within the European Union are putting a cap on mobile roaming charges. Travelers roaming in other EU member states no longer need to worry about accidentially running up huge bills when accessing the web over mobile networks via mobile phone, notebook or netbook. Travelers’ data-roaming limit is automatically set at € 59.90 (long price) unless they have chosen another limit or a special traveler’s tariff option. Charges for receiving or making mobile phone calls in another country within the EU fall below € 0.18 and € 47 per minute. The former “cost trap” voice mail has been minimized since receiving a voice mail message while roaming is now free of charge.

The Android smartphone Samsung Galaxy S I9000 is now available at stores in Germany. Web stores offer it for purchase prices beginning at € 465.00 including delivery. O2 Germany has been the only German network operator announcing the Samsung Galaxy S as being available in its shops at the end of this month. But eventually mobile phone users will find this touch-screen smartphone of manufacturer Samsung at all other network operators’ stores as well. In this article, I am summarizing my first impressions of this phone after having tested it for two days.

The Apple iPhone 4 is now available in Germany. Unlike in most other countries, there is one mobile phone provider in Germany having the exclusive rights for selling the iPhone 4. This means, in this country users can actually buy an iPhone 4 with Net-lock at the shops of operator Telekom (T-Mobile) when they also enter into an agreement with an initial term of two years only. However, there are some other ways to get an Apple iPhone 4 in Germany.

German social networking service VZ-Netzwerke (meinVZ, schuelerVZ and StudiVZ)is launching a cell phone plan that can be booked by community members and other mobile phone users. The basic version of VZmobil is similar to many other prepaid price plans in Germany with low rates of € 0.09 per minute for calls to landlines and other mobile phones in Germany, € 0.09 for every text message (SMS) sent within Germany, and € 0.24 per megabyte for accessing the internet via GPRS or UMTS over the network of operator O2 Germany. On the other hand, VZmobil comes with lots of tariff options and included services.

German TV station Sat.1 is marketing a 3G web stick and different prepaid mobile data tariffs for accessing the internet over the German Vodafone network. The prepaid starter package including the UMTS surf stick Huawei E160E, a SIM card and credit of € 10.00 is available at the Sat.1 web store at www.sticksat1.de for a purchase price of € 29.95. The SIM card for the Vodafone network with a starting balance of € 10.00, but without the web stick costs € 14.95. After having connected to the internet and opened the web browser of their laptop or netbook, users can choose on a starting page between four different prepaid mobile data plans.

For three weeks the Apple iPad has been available in Germany. Several mobile phone providers have released micro-SIM cards for accessing the internet with the iPad WiFi + 3G over their mobile networks. At www.teltarif.de we have tested the micro-SIM cards and mobile internet accesses of the four German network operators Telekom (T-Mobile), Vodafone, E-Plus and O2 Germany. This is a short summary of our experiences regarding purchase of the micro SIM card for the Apple iPad and its activation, the selection of mobile data price plans with a short minimum term commitment, network quality and the use of certain mobile data services such as voice over IP or instant messaging.

Mobile phone provider Klarmobil has launched a new postpaid price plan for cell phone users that comes without monthly charge and without long minimum term commitment. The cell phone plan “Freenet.de Mobiltarif” is available at , the starter package (SIM card and credit of € 10.00) costs € 9.95. With this Klarmobil price plan, subscribers can call landlines and other cell phones in Germany for € 0.08 per minute and send text messages (SMS) within Germany for € 0.08 per message.

With the Blackberry Pearl 3G 9105, Canadian manufacturer Research in Motion (RIM) is trying the balancing act between a classical push email handset and a mass market device. The smartphone looks like a typical candybar cell phone because it is slim and because it does not have a full QWERTZ keyboard. To make the Blackberry Pearl 3G 9105 appeal to more cell phone users, RIM has given it UMTS and HSDPA 3.6 support because today consumers want a phone with UMTS support. Actually there is no need for that because of the data compression of the Blackberry server. On the other hand: In order to become a mainstream consumer device the Blackberry Pearl 3G 9105 did not get a full physical QWERTZ keyboard or – like previous Pearl phones – a compact QWERTZ keyboard with two letters on each button. In Germany, the Blackberry Pearl 3G will be available at Vodafone stores soon.

German coffee house chain Tchibo is launching a new mobile data flat rate tariff. The new tariff for accessing the internet over the O2 Germany network is called “Internet-Flatrate L”, costs € 9.95 per month and includes 500 MB data volume for faster data transfers via EDGE, UMTS or HSPA. Once this limit has been reached, the subscriber gets only GPRS speed for the remaining days of that month. New subscribers also buying the UMTS surf stick of Tchibo (with SIM lock) for € 19.95 can use the “Internet-Flatrate L” the first month for free.

The FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa has finally kicked off. Soccer fans in Germany can watch the games on TV at home, on big screen in a pub or via live stream on the web. In this overview you will find all the information you need to watch the World Cup matches live in Germany: Public and commercial broadcasting stations covering the tournament, providers selling web and TV sticks to PC and laptop users, web radio stations with live coverage and podcasts as well as locations of public showings in Berlin and Hamburg.