T-Mobile and Apple Announce iPhone Germany Rate Plans

[CalBoy]

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

Let's keep this PSRI-free shall we?

And to the poster who said wikipedia said the average US sales tax is 8.5%, that seems high to me. Maybe in some places but not many, even NYC is less than that.

8.5 seems about right. Most of California is above 8.5% (state is 8.25 on its own, and counties can add on to that). Remember that it's probably a remark on an average or mode level of sales tax.

 

[mongoos150]

I'd just buy the iPhone from Orange, unlocked, and take it with me wherever I pleased (on whatever carrier/data plan I pleased).

 

[Dr.Nick]

Ok, let's review what happens:

T-Mobile complains about a decreasing number of customers every year. They aren't known for their good service and other providers offer rates as low as 10-15 Ct./min WITHOUT a monhtly fee.
Now TMOB gets THE opportunity to have a unique selling point: beeing the iphone partner for Germany.
And what are they doing? They are as greedy as ever:
- 400 € (so unsubsidised) for a sim-lock-ed device
- 25 € for the setup
- 50 € / month
- for this you only get creepy 100 minutes and 40 SMS
- Hotspot free? I buy a cell phone and don't want to be stuck at a café
- for further minutes you have to bleed 40Ct. / min (remember what I wrote above!)
- after 200 MB they throttle your bandwidth to 64kbit/s. Come on, how much are 200 MB? Surfing with the speed of a modem?
- they want to pin you down 2 years

If you use too few minutes you paid too much. If you use more than 100 minute you pay too much... hmmm

They just aren't learning it. I hope they will be screwed by it.

 

[redAPPLE]

Does This Count As Double Post?

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!!!



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!!!

maybe the mods could repair this. ha ha. sorry, don't know how to report something like this.

 

[groovebuster]

As a German I can say that the rates are ridiculous. The iPhone is aiming at consumers. Who the hell would spend that kind of money for a phone???

After all it is just that: a phone with some bells and whistles added...

Anybody who is spending this kind of money for a lifestyle gadget must be totally out of his mind. Especially since the iPhone has some really big limitations:

- no UMTS!
- no possibility to use it as a modem for a Computer

Combined with the rates of T-Mobile it gets close to robbery. And for all the people again who are not living in Germany but have an opinion anyway: THESE RATES ARE FAR FROM BEING GOOD!

Hotspots for free? Laughable... Spread 4000 Hotspots over a country that is small and populated very dense... and then try to find one of these Hotspots when you need one. I don't want to sit in a café everytime I want speed. Besides of finding one in the first place. I want the speed when I need it. And mostly that is not when I am chilling at a nice place. And the Hotspot ist not for free there anyway then. You have to order at least a drink or something...

I can book an internet flat (UMTS!) with my phone here in Germany for 25.-€/month. Yes, unlimited internet at UMTS speed and I can use the phone as a modem. That is a fair deal.

Apple really dropped the ball here in Germany with the iPhone... They should have waited for a UMTS version, open it up to modem usage and then went with another carrier like e.g. e-plus.

And T-Mobile should subtract themselves from the market asap. I almost feel sorry for them...

groovebuster

 

[c-Row]

"Yeah, you can get the iPhone in Germany! Now, bend over."

 

[Vinnie_vw]

Wow, high prices. So how much of a cut is Apple getting? If I ever get an iPhone, I'll so unlock it.

 

[.Andy]

You guys think these prices are expensive. Just wait until you see what the plans will be in Australia .

 

[TheSpecialist]

WTF! That does it! If I'm getting an iPhone I'm unlocking it. I live in the Netherlands and I pay 32.50 euro for a Sony Ericsson K800i, 150 minutes and 1000 test messages. Wtf, screw this.

 

[Bodypainter]

incredible!

i understand that a company wants to make money, but apple turned into some kind of ripp-off company on which the consumer (or apple client) is some kind of "thing" that has to be ripped-off. the iphone is a nice telephone with nice features you can actually also get when you buy an ipod touch. however, looking a these prices, i am speechless. i have NEVER seen such prices before! i can not imagine that someone who has a brain will pay 89 euros (129 dollars!) month after month for an iphone! in austria we call this "deppen-steuer" which could be translated into "nerd-tax", especially considering the fact that we have providers which let you phone for 1 cent (or even free) with a monthly fee of 6,99 euro. imagine: 6,99 euro (free market) versus 89 euro (apple). that is 13 times more! imagine you go to mac donalds and instead of 5,95 they charge you 77,35 euro for a menu. whow! everyone would ask if mac donalds is nuts and would probably throw the menu to the cash-desk-lady. i hope that people will not buy the phone under these curcumstances. it would be really cool to see jobs face if he says: we sold 0 iphones in germany. strange! why? it was such a GOOD DEAL we offered them...

 

[zipelius]

Wow, high prices. So how much of a cut is Apple getting? If I ever get an iPhone, I'll so unlock it.

Yeah... i never buy iPhone on those prices.

I use now unlimited data (384 kbit/s) + 1000sms + 1000 MMS = 9,95€ / month!
So if apple wanna sell phone to me... it must be unlocked or much better contract. WAKE UP STEVE!!!

 

[Elrond39]

WTF! That does it! If I'm getting an iPhone I'm unlocking it. I live in the Netherlands and I pay 32.50 euro for a Sony Ericsson K800i, 150 minutes and 1000 test messages. Wtf, screw this.

I got a special offer deal with T-Mobile through studentmobiel.nl a long time ago, and I'm getting 150 minutes and 20 text messages for €10 a month. (In reality this means that I usually pay about €15 a month after over-SMS's and taxes, but, I've yet to pay more than €20 in a month. I don't text that much, really.) I did buy my phone for full-price, unlocked, but it was worth it.

Hoping for a 3G iPhone in the spring, and an unlock.

 

[Bye Bye Baby]

Totally

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.

You've hit the nail on the head- Apple has gone greedy big time with this one! Ever heard of the farmer who killed the goose who laid the golden egg. Careful Apple, greed always backfires. Someone always finds a way to make you pay!

 

[groovebuster]

I disagree. These rates are good.

They are not.

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

With UMTS you don't need WiFi zones at all...

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.

Interesting math... since I don't have to pay incoming calls anyway in Germany I can subtract what Americans pay for them from the price? I don't know what you are smoking, but I want some! ;-)

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.

After all I have to pay the tax anyway... and VAT in Europe is much higher than in the US.

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 find the iPhone in the US already way overpriced... Hello? We are talking about a phone! 200 minutes is nothing. I speak on the phone around 10h a month. My maximum so far was 22h...

I couldn't care less for SMS. I only use them in emergencies since they are taking forever to type. Only when a time or numbers are included I tend to use a SMS. It's faster and esaier to leave a message on the mailbox... My SMS average per month... maybe ten.

So let's say I would have the 'Complete L' tarif... The month I was talking 22h on the phone would have costed me (I only count 2/3 of the minutes, because I don't have to pay for incoming calls): 69€ + 680minutes*0.39€ = 334,20€

Wow, that is inexpensive!!!

Now here is what I paid that month for my cell phone bill: less than 40.-€ thanks to my telephone flatrate with 'base'... And even if I want unlimited internet (UMTS) it would just cost me 25.-€ more.

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

Still... they are not...

groovebuster

 

[Glenny2lappies]

- no possibility to use it as a modem for a Computer

I didn't realise that. This makes it a pretty limited device as I'm sure you won't be able to transfer the free hotspot minutes over to a computer - even if it is a Mac.

Apple is a master at creating "iWant" which is aimed fairly and squarely at the heart. But there's just so many things wrong with the iPhone and the massively overpriced packages that the "rational" head will step in and "just say no".

I think I've now made up my mind; iWon't be buying. Sorry Apple, you're just too damn greedy. I'm sure you'll find lots of suckers, but not me.

in austria we call this "deppen-steuer" which could be translated into "nerd-tax"

Nice one!

 

[Glenny2lappies]

Why has nobody mentioned the roaming prices? I bet T-Mobile will want your first-born as part of the deal.

I've not been able to uncover the roaming charges - €10/min? Something completely outrageous I'm sure.

What about the data charges? My current GPRS roaming data rates are around €10/Mb. I'm sure T-Mobile will match that and with typical modern bloated websites, browsing whilst roaming will be out of the question.

Has anyone uncovered the prices?

What about incoming charges for roaming?

 

[Romano]

pricing is just ridiculous!

The prices are way too high for german plans!

I am paying 45 € at Vodafone for Flatrate phone calls and sms - day and night, 24 h a day, 30/31 days a month.

I don´t need email 24/7 as SMS is (for short messages) way faster and really everyone in germany has a mobile phone (but not everyone has email).

Also, I am having the T-Mobile/Com HotSpot-Flatrate included in my DSL plan but I´ve used it twice the last 3 Month (once at the Airport and once at MacDonalds).

49 € (and T-Com said, the lowest plan will start far below 50 € ) is really not a good price. You can have UMTS Flatrates for 25 € (BASE), or a prepaid card paying 10 Cents for every min. to every carrier. (ZEHNSATION).

 

[teekayx]

I said it yesterday already on german mac forums: These plans simply suck. They are too expensive and it just shows how greedy T-Mobile is. I don't know what the general view of americans is on T-Mobile as a carrier, but in Germany we know them for being too expensive, having a bad service and being well.. did i say it already.. being overpriced.
The iPhone in Germany will certainly not be a success, Apple should reconsider and switch the carrier.
For me the main reason for an iPhone was good web access (although slow due to EDGE), but them throtthling the already ridiculous speed of EDGE down to 64 kbit/s is totally off.

 

[obirah]

Don't be sorry

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...

Well, don't be. I am in Germany and could get the iPhone but why should I do that?

I just made the math that for 24 months I would pay:

at least 1600 EUR for the M Packet and believe me, it will get near 2000 EUR with few SMS here and few minutes over the limit there across 2 years + sms abroad, calling friends outside Germany, going to Austria snowboarding etc.

at least 2081 EUR for the L Packet and let's say another 200-300 EUR for the other reasons.

at least 2560 EUR for the XL Packet and some 200 EUR more for other stuff.


Sorry, but for that amount of money I will stick with my N73 still working good as a phone and get a Macbook Pro - at least I can earn some money with this gadget and not just zooming web pages...

+ As a T-Com premium customer I already have the Hotspots for free
+ I can still get an iPod touch for the kicks of it...

I thought that phone services will get cheaper with the time (as it happens with land lines here - we have flatrates etc.) but Apple happens to stop this from happening soon.

And this 64kbit limitations are so last century. When T-Mobile can't be sure of handling the whole traffic, then make it slower but don't take that much for it!

 

[bartelby]

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.

I think there's quite a lot of European Apple users who aren't bothering with the iPhone because the plans are so pathetic. I know of quite a few in the UK.

We'll see what happens in just over a week. Of course, there are those who just have to have the latest gadget, no matter how much of a rip off it is...

I really get the impression Apple don't have a clue that SMS and MMS are a bigger thing over here then in the US.

 

[tjcampbell]

Sucks to be German.

 

[groovebuster]

Sucks to be German.

Actually not...

The iPhone is overhyped anyway. If something like that would make me think that my life is miserable...

I am in a management position since a while now and over the years I really found out that the real luxury is not to be available 24/7. My communication habbits dramatically changed over the years... especially while I am not at work.

No iPhone for me? No big loss... at least not for me. It's just a toy after all that I would hardly use for more than phoning and for surfing the web occasionally.

groovebuster

 

[aramelus]

The most ridiculous thing is to cut the WFi speed after 200Mb. 200 Mb is maybe 2-3 hours surfing the internet just playing around with youtube and google maps. Also you can't basically use the mobile iTunes store...

 

[tripwire]

I said it yesterday already on german mac forums: These plans simply suck. They are too expensive and it just shows how greedy T-Mobile is. I don't know what the general view of americans is on T-Mobile as a carrier, but in Germany we know them for being too expensive, having a bad service and being well.. did i say it already.. being overpriced.
The iPhone in Germany will certainly not be a success, Apple should reconsider and switch the carrier.
For me the main reason for an iPhone was good web access (although slow due to EDGE), but them throtthling the already ridiculous speed of EDGE down to 64 kbit/s is totally off.

I don't think T-mobile's prices are that outrageous.
Don't forget Apple wants a kickback from the montly subscription.
In the US the kickback is said to be 18 USD per month, so i reckon that in Europe it's at least 18 euros.

 

[christian_k]

Sucks to be German.

No.

A lot of people here might start to think, mobile service is always terribly expensive in Germany. This is not true. I am a German, I have used mobile phones since 1996 and I have used all 4 networks (T-Mobile, Vodafone, EPlus and O2) over the years.

Prices are extreemly different.

Example:
A prepaid card from T-Mobile ("XTra Classic") will cost you 0,39 Eur / min (to landlines and all mobiles). You have GPRS/EDGE/3G/HSDPA access, but it costs 19(!) Eur/ MB, in other words: you cannot use data unless you are owner of some oil sources.

A prepaid card from "Bild-Mobil" will cost you 0,10 Eur per Minute . Data (also including GPRS/EDGE/3G/HSDPA) is 0,35 Eur/MB, if you have DSL at home and use mobile data only ocasionaly, that's ok ! What about coverage? Easy answer: Bild-Mobil uses T-Mobile's network. So coverage will be exactly the same.

T-Mobile in contrast charges you 0,39 or 0,29 per additional minute even if you have that expensive iPhone plan.

Other operators also offer better prices for data (9,95 for 250 MB or 25 for a flatrate without slowdowns that is intended for notebook use).

Mobile phone is not generally expensive here, but T-Mo is very expensive. So I will use other services. This obviously means no iPhone for me, but other devices are not that bad....

Christian