Buying a smartphone at full price and then choosing a separate SIM plan for calls, text messages and mobile data is significantly cheaper than offers that combine the phone and monthly SIM payments, according to an analysis by Verivox. Over a 24-month period, consumers save an average of around 25 percent, newspapers from the Funke Media Group reported on Saturday, citing Verivox. In some cases, the savings are considerably higher.
Verivox compared offers from Telekom, Vodafone, O2 and 1&1, where the monthly price includes both the smartphone and the SIM plan, with the costs of buying the same phone separately and using a SIM-only plan from a discount provider on the same network. The comparison examined the Google Pixel 9a (128 GB) and the Apple iPhone 17 Pro (256 GB), as well as two usage profiles with higher and lower data consumption.
According to the Funke newspapers, average savings from separating the phone purchase and SIM plan amounted to 29% on the Telekom network, 27% with Vodafone, 24% with 1&1 and 21% with O2. Verivox said the main reason for the price difference is that combined offers usually include much more mobile data than most customers need.
“In the SIM plans offered by major providers, there is around six times as much data volume as is consumed per person on average in Germany,” said Verivox telecommunications expert Jörg Schamberg. “Many customers choose oversized SIM plans to keep the upfront price of the phone as low as possible. As a result, they pay every month for services they do not need.”
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