After you've decided which type of plan to buy, you should start to narrow your search based on a few select criteria. Here are a few questions to help focus your search.
Will you be calling people all over the country, or will most of your calls be confined to your region of the country?
Most people prefer national plans--which usually integrate long distance and roaming charges into the total cost--but local and regional plans often are less expensive. Either option is fine, provided you understand that local and regional plans might charge extra for calls outside your coverage region.
Where do you live?
Every carrier's cell network is different: Most cover the major cities pretty well, but rural areas are quite a bit spottier. If you don't live in an urban area, you might have fewer plan choices available to you. Detailed coverage maps are usually available on the carrier websites.
How many minutes will you need?
Be realistic. It's tempting to choose a plan with limited anytime minutes to save money, but there are few worse feelings than receiving your cell phone bill and realizing you went 500 minutes over your limit. On the other hand, if you don't talk on the phone all that much, a low-minute plan may be perfect.
What do other people in your neighborhood or city think?
Unlike with many technologies, cell phones really do behave differently based on where you live, as each carrier's cell network varies in quality and coverage. Ask your friends, neighbors, and associates whether they've had positive or negative experiences with certain carriers and plans.
Are there any extra features that matter to you?
If text or picture messaging is a priority, factor the cost of these services into your search. If you want to surf the Web on a smartphone, look for a plan with good data options. Many plans also offer unlimited mobile-to-mobile minutes, meaning you can talk with other people on the same carrier network for free. If most of your friends already subscribe to one carrier, it might make sense to subscribe to the same carrier to cut costs.
