German operator Vodafone is offering a prepaid starter package for mobile email and instant messaging users. The basic prepaid starter package includes the smartphone LG KS360 and a SIM card with prepaid price plan CallYa 5/15. If needed, buyers of this prepaid package can book or cancel an email and instant messaging flat rate tariff for EUR 4.95 for a 30-day period. For the first 30 days this email and instant messaging flat rate is free of charge.

The flat rate tariff includes data traffic for sending and receiving all emails and for chatting with the ICQ client over the mobile network of Vodafone in Germany via GPRS or EDGE. The ICQ client is already installed on the LG KS360 or on the Ogo 2. However, all other data traffic – e.g. when browsing the internet – is rather expensive with EUR 20.00 per megabyte and EUR 0.06 for each online hour.

With the CallYa 5/15 prepaid price plan, mobile phone users pay EUR 0.15 for calls to home phones or other mobile phones in Germany. Calls between Vodafone customers cost EUR 0.05 with CallYa 5/15. For sending SMS messages within Germany, Vodafone charges customers with CallYa 5/15 plan EUR 0.19 each.

The prepaid starter package with the LG KS360 with SIM lock and EUR 1.00 calling credit is available for EUR 99.90 at the Vodafone online store. The same price plan options combined the smartphone Ogo 2 (instead of the LG KS360) costs EUR 69.90. Both phones have a QWERTZ keyboard and do only support GPRS and EDGE for data transmissions, but no UMTS.

Overviews of current cell phone plans in Germany:
Prepaid Price Plans with Single Tariff for Mobile Phone Calls
Prepaid Price Plans with Community Tariff for Mobile Phone Calls
Prepaid Price Plans with Flat Rate Tariff for Mobile Phone Calls