Which carrier would we choose? Ask yourself how you use wireless, and these answers may help you make a final decision. Many exceptions exist. Also see How to Switch Carriers. We have also featured one cellular deal we rate as "The Best". (This page updated, 6/23/08)

1) I want the lowest-priced plan. As the larger carriers try to increase their profits, they no longer offer plans under $30 per month, and some go no lower than $40 per month. For service below that price level, the best offers are for prepaid service. The best prepaid value is offered by T-Mobile. Once you have spent $100 with them, your expiration is one year and a refill of as little as $10 gets you another year. T-Mobile phones can be purchased at some stores reasonably, or very cheap and new on eBay. And you can discounts on refills from cheapphonecards.com. Look at Cell Guru's Prepaid Comparison page for good options in prepaid. AT&T GoPhone also offers a one year expiration at the $100 level. The absolute rock-bottom cheapest plan per year is 7-Eleven's SpeakOut GSM service that works for one year on as little as a $25 refill. At that price level you don't get many minutes, but it's a good choice for a 'glove-box' phone as long as you can adhere to a 120-day usage cycle. Also, any "Unlocked" GSM 850/1900 MHz phone can be used with these services.

2) I want the best coverage. Verizon Wireless is the coverage leader in much of the country by a slight margin, especially in the west. Their network covers the largest combination of urban and rural areas. Verizon's National plans include coverage over the vast majority of the U.S. and are very economical. There are states, such as those along the Gulf coast, where Verizon is not the best carrier and, in those states, AT&T or Alltel is a better choice.

3) Which carrier has the best "value"? While every carrier has the potential of giving you the "best" plan for your specific circumstances, generally T-Mobile offers the largest buckets of minutes for the money. They also have been concentrating on providing superior "neighborhood" level coverage. If Alltel is available in your area, they have excellent coverage and have become a price leader.

4) I want service with No Contract. Cricket Wireless, Metro PCS and a handful of smaller carriers offer no-contract service. Many carriers and re-sellers also offer some kind of pre-paid plan. Other options include a Jitterbug cell phone, a phone specializing in simplicity and customer service (you get an "Operator"). They have no-contract plans starting as low as $10/month. Avoiding a contract isn't as big a deal as it was as every carrier now offers at least a 2-week 'tryout' period, and in some states it's 30 days. While most contracts are now for 2 years (3-year contracts also exist), you can ask for a 1-year contract, although it may mean your phone purchase will cost more. Some of the large carriers now offer special programs for people who want service without a contract. We think the best is T-Mobile's "Flex-Pay" program which is similar to that offered to post-pay customers.

5) I use a LOT of minutes, who gives you the most for your money? T-Mobile gives the most minutes for the money for lower-priced plans, but if you need a lot more, there are many carriers who now offer Unlimited calling minutes, and we compare them on our Unlimited Plans Comparison Page.

6) I want a plan that shares minutes among family members. Almost all of the larger carriers offer 'shared" or 'family' plans which may include extra time for calls among family members. Some of these plans vary from time to time, such as offering Mobile to Mobile plans instead of unlimited calling. Make sure you do the math...separate plans could be more economical. Most carriers offer large or unlimited Mobile to Mobile minutes, which are great for non-shared plans. T-Mobile and Alltel offer a "Favorites" plan that allows unlimited calls to certain numbers whether they are on- or off-network.

7) I want the best International roaming capabilities. AT&T phones in general, and AT&T World Phones more specifically, are the best choice for roaming in the largest number of foreign countries. GSM service is almost universally available, and AT&T offers plans that give discounts on foreign roaming. T-mobile phones are also GSM, but overall, T-Mobile international roaming is more expensive, except in their own Deutsche Telekon markets. While CDMA phones like Verizon and Sprint can roam in many countries, it is not as universally available or affordable as AT&T. Each carrier offers International Roaming information and costs on their web sites.

8) I'm annoyed by these phones with super small print on the screen. I sent my sister out to find something she likes and she came home with a Samsung phone. An even better choice is a Jitterbug which has huge numbers on both the keypad and the screen, and is very easy to use.