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One of the most important decisions you need to make when switching or starting wireless phone service is which phone model to choose. It may also be the most difficult and the most personal. What works for others may not work for you, and manufacturers continually add new features and gimmicks to make the newest phone more desirable than the last. Phone choice shouldn't be your first decision in wireless choice because you need to establish whether a wireless carrier is available in your area before you can look at any phone. Once you have determined which carriers serve your area and which plans fit your usage, the handset is next. Today's choices can be overwhelming. If you wanted, say, an iPhone, you need to check to see if it is offered by a carrier that covers your area. Choosing a Blackberry widens your possibilities, and if any nice, small flip-phone fills your needs, the whole spectrum of carriers and plans become available. How do you take that next step? We recommend you start searching for your next phone at a Local Wireless Store that features multiple carriers. Best Buy and Radio Shack come to mind, but don't let them rush you into a purchase. ("No thanks, I'm just looking"). You also have some great online shopping resources like Moose Wireless who finds better prices than brick & mortar stores. Step back, review your notes, and then go for it. Our family usually chooses the cheapest (free?) model that fills our minimum needs. We caution you to not over-analyze your choices in Don't Sweat Your Phone Choice. Don’t fall in love with a certain phone model. Narrow your choice to certain carriers and plans first, then choose among their handsets. We recommend Phonescoop where you can check specifications, side-by-side, and Moose Wireless for the best online deals. Unfortunately, the larger carriers have exclusive access to certain phone models, but even the greatest phone in the world will be disappointing on an inadequate network. If a smaller network has the best combination of coverage and features, you’d be foolish to ignore them. There is always the possibility of using a favorite handset on a different network, but the carriers fight that as best they can. Switching a SIM among GSM phones is an effective method in some cases, but not always. This opens the possibility of buying a phone on eBay or elsewhere, but you’re on your own for help if that model is not supported by your chosen carrier. Buying on your own may also eliminate the need to sign 2-year agreement. OK, let's review: Service first, Handset second. Then, don't look back...at least for 2 years.
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