T-Mobile and Apple Announce iPhone Germany Rate Plans

[MacRumors]

Apple and T-Mobile announced rate plans for the iPhone in Germany today.





The plans start at 49 euro/month and include unlimited data plans, Visual Voicemail and access to T-Mobile's over 8,000 W-Fi Hotspots in Germany.

"We're thrilled to be partnering with T-Mobile and can't wait to start selling the iPhone in Germany in just a few short weeks," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "Starting at just €49 per month, we think these three rate plans give customers the flexibility to experience all of iPhone’s revolutionary features at affordable and competitive prices."

The numbers correspond to an earlier leak of the rate plans reported by MacNotes.de.

Article Link

[plumbingandtech]

I want some free hot spots.

[pit29]

Actually, there will also be an activation fee of €25. And: they will limit traffic speed over edge to 64kb/s and 16kb/s for down- and upload, respectively, after you have downloaded 200mb (complete M), 1gb (L) or 5gb (XL) in any given month...


And: first :-)

EDITED: second, but close...

[mkrishnan]

Originally Posted by pit29

And: they will limit traffic speed over edge to 64kb/s and 16kb/s for down- and upload, respectively, after you have downloaded 200mb (complete M), 1gb (L) or 5gb (XL) in any given month...

I didn't see this in the article... can you provide a confirming source?

[naroola]

5GB or even 1GB of data transfer at EDGE speeds??? Come on! On the other hand, 200MB is more believable.

[unity]

Damn, why are Euro plans so much? You would think with population density like there is the plans would be more affordable, even with free incoming.

[Project]

Ouch.

These are far worse than the UK plans. Far worse.

[ABM]

Originally Posted by mkrishnan

I didn't see this in the article... can you provide a confirming source?

http://www.t-mobile.de/iphone/tarife.jsp

1) Gilt nur für die Nutzung mit dem iPhone im nationalen T-Mobile Netz und an deutschen HotSpots der Telekom oder von T-Mobile (WLAN). Ab einem Datenvolumen von 200 MB
(Complete M), 1 GB (Complete L) oder 5 GB (Complete XL) pro Monat wird die Bandbreite im jeweiligen Monat auf max. 64 kbit/s (Download) und 16 kbit/s (Upload) beschränkt.

[chr1s60]

Wow, these prices seem pretty high compared to what it is in the US.

[Nordichund]

Personally I´d love an iPhone. However if it ever comes to Norway and has prices resembling anything like Germany I´ll happily stick with my current none iPhone. Those prices are insane. The phone isn´t even 3G. Apple in this instance is being VERY greedy.

[mkrishnan]

Originally Posted by ABM

http://www.t-mobile.de/iphone/tarife.jsp

Thanks! Is this pro forma in Germany for other high-data phones... perhaps Blackberries or Treos or the Sidekick or something like that?

[offwidafairies]

i guess apple arent making as much revenue since dropping the price of the iphone. does apple get a percentage of the network price?

also... when is iPhone coming to australia. not that i REALLY care. im going to live in the USA in 2 months anyway. but i do feel like australia is left behind, kind of like an afterthought. and there are some big fanboys (and girls ) over here

[Stella]

Originally Posted by unity

Damn, why are Euro plans so much? You would think with population density like there is the plans would be more affordable, even with free incoming.

They aren't, normally... its Apple / TMobile 'special' iPhone tariffs.

[BufferOverflow]

Wow those prices are steep! On the 'L' tariff you get the same minutes and 50 less texts compared to the UK, and for approximately £14 more!

[naroola]

Originally Posted by chr1s60

Wow, these prices seem pretty high compared to what it is in the US.

I disagree. These rates are good. Think about it... these include VAT which is 19%, and incoming calls and incoming SMSs from anywhere are free, on top of the free Wifi zones!

In the US, we pay through the nose for those for these services. Do the math... let's pick the middle plan at 69 Euros:

1. Remove the cost of wifi zones which in Germany equates to 30 Euros/month, i.e. 69 - 30 = 39 Euros.
2. Let's remove the cost of incoming calls and SMS messages, say another 15 Euros (pulled this out of the air, but to me it seems reasonable) i.e. 39 - 15 = 24 Euros.
3. Remove 19% VAT (cause in the US, the rate plans are advertised without taxes) i.e. 24 Euros * 0.81 = 19.4 Euros. This equates to roughly $25 per month.

Now in the US... $25/month for 200 minutes (incoming and outgoing), 150 SMSs (incoming and outgoing) and unlimited data is not good? iPhone data plan itself is $20/month! So really, $5 you are getting 200 mins of talk time and 150 SMSs.

I am sorry I disagree, but these rates are excellent!!!

Originally Posted by chr1s60

Wow, these prices seem pretty high compared to what it is in the US.

I disagree. These rates are good. Think about it... these include VAT which is 19%, and incoming calls and incoming SMSs from anywhere are free, on top of the free Wifi zones!

In the US, we pay through the nose for those for these services. Do the math... let's pick the middle plan at 69 Euros:

1. Remove the cost of wifi zones which in Germany equates to 30 Euros/month, i.e. 69 - 30 = 39 Euros.
2. Let's remove the cost of incoming calls and SMS messages, say another 15 Euros (pulled this out of the air, but to me it seems reasonable) i.e. 39 - 15 = 24 Euros.
3. Remove 19% VAT (cause in the US, the rate plans are advertised without taxes) i.e. 24 Euros * 0.81 = 19.4 Euros. This equates to roughly $25 per month.

Now in the US... $25/month for 200 minutes (incoming and outgoing), 150 SMSs (incoming and outgoing) and unlimited data is not good? iPhone data plan itself is $20/month! So really, $5 you are getting 200 mins of talk time and 150 SMSs.

I am sorry I disagree, but these rates are excellent!!!

[tbobmccoy]

I'd almost feel sorry for your euro prices, except that we Americans have crappy healthcare and are involved in futile wars across the globe

[twoodcc]

Originally Posted by chr1s60

Wow, these prices seem pretty high compared to what it is in the US.

yeah they do. but at first i didn't notice that it included minutes also. but still, they are kinda high

[Dreyfus]

It is actually a mixed bag - and I think Apple's insisting on free unlimited data in each plan is to blame for these prices.

Data and WLAN access charges with T-Mobile are extremely expensive in Germany, no matter if ad hoc or with volume subscriptions. Apple forcing them to provide that "unlimited" caused skimping on included minutes and horrendous per minute rates when exceeding the allocation. 39 Cents per minute is a joke - you can get prepaid cards (no minimum, no fees) with charges as low as 14 Cents/min.

So - for people using data services a lot (and initiating only a few calls) it is a good deal, even a very good deal. EDGE coverage with T-Mobile is great, they have more hot spots than anybody else etc. For people reading one or two emails on the go per week - it is completely unsuitable. For most teens (tons of SMS and hours of talking, even when dialling the wrong number) - it will be financial suicide. So - bottom line, the plan is mainly favouring business users. These may have to wait weeks, months or years before network admins add support for the iPhone on the corporate network.

I think they miss out on a lot of potential buyers here - half the German population might be in Paris in early November

[robogobo]

All non-US mobile phone users should protest and demand better rates. It's really ridiculous how much more expensive it is here in Europe. It's not like this is new technology or anything. Rates are 3 to 4 times more expensive, and many places (like Switzerland) haven't even began to offer unlimited data. Data rates are through the roof.

[Abstract]

Those rates look dismal. For 50 Euro, you get 100 minutes and 40 SMS? That's nothing! You're essentially paying $40 for the data plan alone. That 100 minutes is nothing. 40 SMS isn't so hot, either.

The L plan looks more reasonable, but it's 70 Euro. That's $100 USD!!

Originally Posted by pit29

Actually, there will also be an activation fee of €25. And: they will limit traffic speed over edge to 64kb/s and 16kb/s for down- and upload, respectively, after you have downloaded 200mb (complete M), 1gb (L) or 5gb (XL) in any given month...

That's poo. 64 kb/s would be unbearable.

[voodoofish]

Originally Posted by naroola

2. Let's remove the cost of incoming calls and SMS messages, say another 15 Euros (pulled this out of the air, but to me it seems reasonable) i.e. 39 - 15 = 24 Euros.

FYI, in europe the reason incoming calls and texts are free is because whoever sent them pays money for them to be delivered, ie. the network operator makes money every time you receive a call or text message [edit for clarity - unlike the US where it is you who is receiving the call/text message who the network makes money off, it is the person who has sent the call/text message who the network makes the money off, since part of their phone bill gets paid to your network as an 'interconnect fee' or whatever they call it]. in the UK the network three even pays you to recieve calls/texts, as they are simply passing some of this money they make back onto you.

So, actually getting free incoming calls is *not* actually worth €15 a month, if anything it's worth a discount off your line rental since your carrier makes money off the caller every time someone calls you.


Also - do German's just never text each other?? or are those plans just *really* bad? In the UK you get 1,000 texts a month free if you top up £30 a month on pay as you go, yet some how users on the most expensive iphone plan in germany are expected to get by on 300?

[joker0421]

Originally Posted by naroola

1. Remove the cost of wifi zones which in Germany equates to 30 Euros/month, i.e. 69 - 30 = 39 Euros.

The T-Mobile Hotspot Flat costs 14,95€, and many landline customers of T-Online already have this flatrate included with their DSL contract.

Besides that, I think that 99$ for 1GB Data Traffic, 200 minutes and 150 SMS is anything else than excellent. Compared to other german carriers, it's really a bad deal. And you can't get any flatrate for calls or SMS, not even with the biggest plan.

39 cent per minute is ridiculous, you can get it for 9,9 cent without signing any contract.

[quigleybc]

This is a theme.

Some Country gets the iPhone. Everyone's excited.

Then they release the prices. Everyone's Shocked.

then some token Canadian comes on here and talks about 'well at least you have the iPhone!".......oh wait that's me....


ya,

i'm jealous...

[PabloGS]

1. Remove the cost of wifi zones which in Germany equates to 30 Euros/month, i.e. 69 - 30 = 39 Euros.
2. Let's remove the cost of incoming calls and SMS messages, say another 15 Euros (pulled this out of the air, but to me it seems reasonable) i.e. 39 - 15 = 24 Euros.
3. Remove 19% VAT (cause in the US, the rate plans are advertised without taxes) i.e. 24 Euros * 0.81 = 19.4 Euros. This equates to roughly $25 per month.

No they are not... I live here in Germany and you can easily get prepaid phone cards for 5 to 9¢/min to any network, telephony flat-rates are 15€/month.

Calling a cellphone is roughly 9¢/min from a landline.

Now T-Mobiles WiFi Zones Flat is roughly 10€/month extra, not 30€/month!!!

There are also many UMTS data-plans available, 10€/month gets you 200MB worth of traffic (I have the O2 Internet Pack M), and honestly, I surf the net via UMTS and my MacBook a lot. Never made it to the 200MB limit!
Or get a time tariff for usually 3¢ to 9¢.

10€ for 100 mins + 4€ for 40 SMS + Wifi: 10€ + Dataplan: 10€ = 34€
If you take these numbers into account, I'd say 40€ is just about right, since the iPhone is a subsidized phone, but... Dude... 49€ is a rip-off.

[manu chao]

Originally Posted by naroola

I disagree. These rates are good. Think about it... these include VAT which is 19%, and incoming calls and incoming SMSs from anywhere are free, on top of the free Wifi zones!

In the US, we pay through the nose for those for these services. Do the math... let's pick the middle plan at 69 Euros:

1. Remove the cost of wifi zones which in Germany equates to 30 Euros/month, i.e. 69 - 30 = 39 Euros.
2. Let's remove the cost of incoming calls and SMS messages, say another 15 Euros (pulled this out of the air, but to me it seems reasonable) i.e. 39 - 15 = 24 Euros.
3. Remove 19% VAT (cause in the US, the rate plans are advertised without taxes) i.e. 24 Euros * 0.81 = 19.4 Euros. This equates to roughly $25 per month.

Now in the US... $25/month for 200 minutes (incoming and outgoing), 150 SMSs (incoming and outgoing) and unlimited data is not good? iPhone data plan itself is $20/month! So really, $5 you are getting 200 mins of talk time and 150 SMSs.

Let's do the math again. From the consumer side, pre-tax prices are irrelevant, your bank account only sees the after-tax cost (from a company point of view, it is the other way around). Typical sales tax in the U.S., according to Wikipedia, is 8.5%. That will make the $60 plan cost you $65, that includes 450 min. Assuming half of them incoming minutes that roughly compares to the Complete L plan with 200 min for outgoing calls in Germany, which is 69 Euro. Taking the PPP implied by the Big Mac Index of 1.1 this translates into $76.