Every year it seems that I switch cell phone companies and plans in an effort to get a better phone and better service at a cheaper price, and yet somehow I end up with lame phones and expensive plans with no real improvement in service. Well, let's do it again. What would you recommend?

I'm currently on a shared plan with my wife. Here are the relevant specs:

Carrier: Verizon. I could stick with them or I could switch. They don't seem to be any better or worse than other providers I've had in the past.

Minutes: 2,100 (shared). We probably only really need around 1,500.

Texting: Unlimited

Data: Just on my phone--I check email quite a bit from my phone. I do a bit of browsing too, but I could do without that. I could probably do without email too, and I will if I can't find a cost-effective option, but if at all possible I want to keep it. One issue, however, is that if I'm going to have it I need Exchange functionality.

Hardware: Motorola Q - I hate the thing. It wouldn't be so bad if it worked, but the features in Windows Mobile 5.0 are fairly limited and the thing is super slow. I click a button...I wait 10 seconds...and then the phone reacts. Nothing seems to fix it, and it's been this way more or less since I got it.

Current cost: About $240 per month at the moment. That's what is really driving this.

What I'm Looking At

Blackberry - Amazingly, I've never had one. I'm somewhat curious to try one out, especially since email is fairly important to me. But I'm also concerned about cost. Verizon charges $50/month for their data plan, which is a hefty part of the cost right now.

iPhone - It's soooo tempting, but lack of proper integration with Exchange server, not to mention the prospect of 3G being added later this year make me want to wait it out.

Something simple an cheap - Maybe I should just dump the data plan and use one of those cheap giveaway phones for a few months and see what appears during the next six months.

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Comments

I have been very happy with T-Mobile family plan...2000 shared minutes was costing me about $90 per month, and then I was paying an additonal $20 per month for unlimited texting. Seems like their data plans are an additional 5$ per month and up, depending on what features you want.

I have been with T-Mobile for about 4 years, and I am happy with them. You also get unlimited calling to any other t-mobile customers, unless you go with their "Favs" plan, which would be dumb for me, since there are a lot more than 5 people I call on a regular basis.

I've never had a blackberry either, so I can't help you there.

Good luck finding something new (and cheaper).

I have the BlackBerry Curve on T-Mobile and have been very happy, it has WiFi and for $10/month you can do the @Home service which gives you unlimited calling over any WiFi you can get on.

You may also look at Sprint, they are leading the pack right now with unlimited calling features, they just released an unlimited everything plan for $99/month.

Go for the iPhone. I don't really have a problem with the EDGE version, after having a Blackberry on Verizon's EVDO network. They seem similar in speed. Besides, it's not like you're using it to download large files. Speed aside, the iPhone user interface is BY FAR the best user interface on any mobile device. If you can hang on and wait for the 3G, then go for it. If not, buy one and then give the EDGE one to your wife when the 3G's come out.

P.S. Apple is holding a special event on the 6th "about the iPhone software roadmap, including the iPhone SDK and some exciting new enterprise features". Hopefully those enterprise features means better exchange integration.

I agree with Brian. I came from verizon with a windows smart device. iPhone is by far the best if your a mobile professional on the move. Haven't had *any* problems, and I find new features each and every day.

Price wise, my wife and I are on a shared family plan with 1400 minutes. With the data plan i'm in at 109.00 (better than 200+) with verizon and the same features.

iPhone ftw!

Forgot to add, it's compatible with the exhchange server if imap is enable.

IMAP only makes it work with e-mail, you won't get contact and calendar sync over the air like you are use to with ActiveSync on the Q. BlackBerry's require additional software also to sync everything, they don't use ActiveSync like Windows phones.

True, but you could use the webmail. Exchange's webmail is awesome. Especially on the big iPhone screen.

iTunes syncs the contacts and calendar information.

Looks like the IPhone is looking to add true ActiveSync support in the near future: http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/06/iphone-heads-to-enterprise-ville-with-tktk-support/

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