By Rita Deutschbein | Aug 01, 2023 2:58 p.m
Since July 11, Aldi Talk has offered 5G in its mobile phone tariffs. Now Lidl Connect is following suit. The new tariffs can be booked from August 7th and, in addition to 5G, offer other innovations that have a positive effect on users. TECHBOOK provides an overview.
With the start of 5G in the tariffs, Aldi Talk has also increased the data volume and the maximum surfing speed. The all-net flat rates have become a bit more expensive overall. But competitor Lidl Connect takes a different approach. Although the tariffs from August 7th include access to Vodafone’s 5G network and also offer higher surfing speeds, Lidl Connect has not changed anything in terms of data volume.
Lidl Connect launches 5G and increases speed
While Aldi Talk operates in the O2 network, Lidl Connect uses the Vodafone network. As is often the case with mobile phone discounters, customers are not able to access the full speeds. It’s the same with 5G. Lidl Connect is also increasing the maximum downstream rate from 25 Mbit/s to 50 Mbit/s and the upstream rate from 10 Mbit/s to 25 Mbit/s. However, the discounter does not come close to the 500 or 100 Mbit/s that network operator Vodafone enables in its own prepaid tariffs.
However, the data volume included in the prepaid tariffs and the choice of tariffs remain unchanged. With the Smart XS, S, M, L and XL, there are four packages to choose from, each with a term of 28 days. The smallest package is the Smart XS, which, unlike the other three tariffs, does not include an all-network flat rate. Here customers get 100 units for 4.99 euros, which they can use for telephony minutes or SMS, as well as 1 GB of data volume. Lidl Connect charges 9 cents for each additional minute and text message based on the basic tariff.
The Smart S, L and XL are all-network flat rates that cover telephony in all German networks and the sending of SMS. The packages differ only in their included data volume. There is 4 GB of data in the Smart S for 7.99 euros. The Smart L, on the other hand, comes with 8 GB of data volume for 12.99 euros. With a total of 16 GB, the Smart XL is the largest of the four tariffs, but it also costs the most at EUR 17.99 per billing period.
Promotion for new customers at the start of 5G
At the start of 5G, Lidl Connect is offering all four tariffs at lower prices as part of a new customer campaign. The promotion applies to bookings between August 7th and September 6th. The offer is quite attractive, but is only valid for one billing period. It is therefore important to mention that the usual tariff conditions and costs will then apply again.
If new customers opt for one of the four Lidl Connect tariffs during the campaign period, they will receive more data volume for a total of four weeks and also only pay half of the regular tariff price. The prerequisite is that no Lidl Connect tariff was previously active on the SIM card. The Smart XS tariff costs 2.49 once as part of the campaign and offers 1.5 GB of data. The Smart S, on the other hand, is available for 3.99 euros with 6 GB of data and the Smart L for 6.49 euros with 12 GB of data. The Smart XL costs 8.99 euros, and its data volume is increased to 24 GB by Lidl Connect.
New customer campaign at Lidl Connect. Photo: Screenshot TECHBOOK via Lidl
Lidl Connect points out that the regular fee will be charged first. Customers receive the promotional price as part of a credit note that the provider approves and confirms with an SMS. However, this can take up to 96 hours, according to Lidl Connect.
TECHBOOK meint
“As expected, other mobile phone discounters Aldi Talk are doing the same and are now also offering 5G in their tariffs. This is a good and important step in the market. Although 5G does not offer all the advantages of the rapid speed for discounters compared to network operators, overloaded networks can be minimized in this way. Compared to Aldi Talk, I don’t think Lidl Connect’s approach is bad. Although there is no more data volume with the change, the prices remain the same, which is an important criterion for many prepaid customers. The only hope is that existing customers will also benefit from the 5G activation and the other new conditions. At Aldi Talk, the changes have so far only applied to new customers. Rita Deutschbein, Editor-in-Chief