Best values in cell phone plans? 2

Best value for big talkers:
Most carriers offer individual plans with up to 6,000 minutes. Sprint beats them all with its Power Pack Unlimited, which charges $199.99 for unlimited anytime minutes. If your phone is permanently affixed to your ear, this is the plan for you.

Best value for families:
Most of the carriers charge a similar rate for family plans, with features that vary just a little. Therefore, T-Mobile once again stands out with its myFaves family plans, which provide five free numbers for each phone line. Again, the carrier offers fewer anytime minutes than its competitors for the same price, but more versatility. T-Mobile also offers a traditional family plan (3,000 anytime minutes) for $129.99 but without myFaves numbers.

Best value for families who really like to talk:
Although the price is a bit higher than T-Mobile's when adjusted for minutes, AT&T and Verizon top the charts with their minutes-rich family plans: 6,000 anytime minutes for $299.99. It beats buying a 1,400-minute plan and paying $500 in overage charges.

Best value for international travelers:
Most reviewers consider T-Mobile the best international carrier, as it runs on a GSM network (making it compatible with European and Asian networks), is more reliable, and is less expensive. Even so, it's a bit of a pain to set up, as you'll need to ask T-Mobile to unlock your phone for access to overseas networks. AT&T also runs on a GMS network, but doesn't receive such high marks.

Best values in cell phone plans? 1

Best value for infrequent phone users:
Aside from buying a prepaid plan, the best option is probably T-Mobile's Basic Plus plan that offers 300 anytime minutes and unlimited weekend minutes for $29.99. Keep in mind, however, that 300 minutes isn't much. The other carriers all offer basic 450-minute plans for $39.99.

Best value for people who receive a ton of calls but rarely make them:
Sprint's Free Incoming plans are unique in that you're only charged for outgoing calls. Incoming calls, by contrast, are completely free. Obviously, not everyone will find such a plan worthwhile but it's great for users who want to stay in touch without actually doing the touching. Prices start at $49.99 for 300 outgoing minutes and max out at $99.99 for 1,000 minutes.

Best value for messaging fans:
Verizon's Choice Select plans offer unlimited text, picture, video, and instant messaging for an extra $20 per month over the company's traditional voice plans. Given the popularity of text messaging, this is a no-brainer for many phone users.

Best value for people with a few really close friends:
Do you spend most of your minutes talking with just a few people? Consider T-Mobile's myFaves plans that let you select five people for unlimited chatting, regardless of which carriers they use. The myFaves plans generally offer fewer anytime minutes than similarly priced plans from other carriers, but because conversations among your "five" don't count as anytime minutes, it's easy to come out ahead with a little monitoring. Note that myFaves plans don't offer mobile-to-mobile minutes, however.

What are the various service plan add-ons, and which ones do I need?

Keep in mind that not all phones support the add-on services listed here. As a general rule, the more advanced--and often more expensive--a phone, the more add-on features it supports. Do your research and make sure you choose a phone that is capable of handling all the services you plan to use.

Also note that the major carriers sometimes disable certain features on your phone, usually because they want to protect a competing proprietary service. It's often possible to re-enable these features via an unlocking service, but there's no guarantee that your carrier will support the unlocked features.