Choosing the right cell phone plan can seem overwhelming. There are so many carriers, so many different plans. Companies are merging and companies are splitting up, companies are changing names. It can be a lot of information to take in. The best approach is to take it 1 step at a time.
First think about how you will use your cell phone. This can be the first step in narrowing down your plans. Is it going to be for emergency or rarely use only. Are you going to use it to replace your land-line phone (local phone company). Or will you fall somewhere between. 
The next step is to figure out your budget for a cell phone, how much you can afford to spend and how much are you willing to spend. Think about your long distance usage. Many people now use their cell phones for long distance calling as many plans include that at no extra charge, either nationwide or just state or area wide long distance. If this is the case for you, then you may want to increase your budget accordingly to match the savings off your regular long distance bill.
Another item to consider is contract versus the pay as you go model. The pay as you go phones usually require no contract and no credit check and no monthly bill, however they generally cost more per minute of talk time as well. So if you are a rare or casual cell phone user, this might fit your lifestyle better than a contract phone. Contracts phones often offer more features and lower rates per minute, but you usually have a $10 and up monthly bill and a contract term of at least 1 year. Try to avoid any contracts longer than 2 years. 1 year contracts would be ideal. Technology changes so fast, that by the time that 2nd year hits, rates will likely be lower and phones much more advanced. You will have been locked into that high price of 2 years ago. Not good, and if you want to get out of the cell phone contract there is almost always a hefty fee you have to pay.
