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The logos of the telecommunications companies Telekom, Vodafone and O2 on a shop in Bernkastel-Kues
Photo: Michael Gstettenbauer / IMAGO
Mobile phone giants, technology giants, tariff discounters, smart online shops for new and almost new used cell phones: There are countless providers who make surfing and calling cheaper than ever.
On the other hand, Germans are paying more and more for the new smartphone.
Meanwhile, an average of almost 500 euros.
The industry turned over more than ten billion euros with new smartphones last year.
As everywhere in life, there are lots of mistakes in the beautiful, colorful world of mobile phones that you should definitely avoid.
Let's just go through the topic point by point:
First of all: the network question
Before you choose a new phone, you should clarify the question:
Which network do you want or need to surf?
Germany is still a country of dead spots.
Fortunately, the decision is not difficult.
If you have lived here for a long time and have used the same route to work for years, you will know from experience which network you can get along well with.
If you are new to the area, you can use the experience of others: there are now maps for network coverage that are accurate to ten meters and show which of the three networks makes sense at your new home or at work - and on the trips in between LTE reception offers.
If that is too complicated for you, just ask your neighbors and colleagues which network they are using.
But you should inquire in any case, otherwise you will end up stuck in the wrong network for a minimum term of 24 months.
more on the subject
Fairphone 4 in the test: A cell phone also for the next-but-one AndroidBy Matthias Kremp
It should be this smartphone
Around 22 million smartphones were sold in Germany in 2020.
And this year there should be just as many again.
If you have a specific manufacturer in mind - Apple, Samsung or Fairphone, for example - with whom you have had good experiences, then the matter is clear.
If you don't already know: Test results for technical suitability are available from Stiftung Warentest, for example.
More important for your wallet: There are now a number of portals where you can enter your desired mobile phone and then receive current information from which tariff provider you can currently purchase this mobile phone as part of a cheap contract.
Coupling a stylish mobile phone with a new contract can be unbeatable, because you can get the smartphone with a large contract with a lot of data for less than 20 euros.
New contracts are still significantly cheaper and more powerful than old contracts, especially in Telekom's D networks and Vodafone.
However, pairing can also be terribly expensive if you simply take the first offer and get an overpriced cell phone tariff.
If you have clarified the network question beforehand, then you can use the comparison portals, such as Handyhase, Check24 or Verivox, to search for such a tariff with a smartphone from the providers of the right network.
Important: You should definitely cancel this contract after the minimum term of 24 months.
Otherwise, in addition to the fees for network use, you will also pay an additional year installments for the smartphone that has already been paid for.
This is currently the most expensive trap on the market.
So it would be easier to find the cheapest price for your favorite mobile phone with price search engines like Idealo.de or billiger.de and buy it directly.
Then book the appropriate mobile phone contract.
Then you are safe from mistakes, but you may pay more than necessary.
It is usually even cheaper if you decide to buy your favorite mobile phone used.
The prices for the cell phone are then of course significantly lower, but the joke is: At used retailers such as Rebuy or Asgoodasnew you get even longer guarantees on your used cell phone than when buying a new one in the market or online - at least 30 months.
The statutory warranty only runs for two years.
The dealer's guarantee for the resale of used goods is actually only one year.
A good smartphone doesn't have to cost the world
If your only goal is to get a stylish smartphone with a cheap contract, regardless of whether it is Samsung or Huawei, then simply look for the best special offer for your tariff needs and stay flexible when choosing a smartphone.
How much data volume do you need in addition to your all-network flat rate?
Because you can book an all-network flat rate.
In combination with a mobile phone, the search for lower phone tariffs is not worthwhile.
The best special offer tariffs can also be found here on the Handyhase and Co. portals with the respective special offers of the week.
This autumn, due to possible delivery bottlenecks, it will be exciting to see which smartphones are being traded as special offers for the respective contracts.
A solid mid-range phone is usually perfectly adequate for everyday use.
Particularly smart when it comes to the price
I don't want to withhold a variant of your new passion as a smart consumer from you.
Once you have chosen the one device or the set of devices that you might want to buy, you can also set an alarm clock function on the price search engines.
The price search engine first shows you what the cheapest prices have been in recent months and how much they have fluctuated.
Then simply set a low price at which you would buy and you will always be notified when your desired cell phone is available again at that price.
Those who like to do the math can even just go there and enter the bargain price at which the mobile phone pays off better than a combination of a 24-month more expensive contract including a mobile phone from the portals, compared to the 24-month cheapest contract and the mobile phone bargain.
Is comparatively easy with Handyhase's computer.
The alarm clock model is also suitable for Christmas gifts if you start with it now.
The consumer researchers say that a fifth of customers are already seriously thinking about Christmas gifts.
In view of possible delivery bottlenecks, the early start is a good idea this time.
Of course, the alarm clock does not offer a guarantee for falling prices before Christmas.
