What's the best Cell Phone / Provider?

I've been with Verizon as long as I have had a cell phone and I don't have any complaints about their service/ coverage in my area but my phone is now nearly three years old and no longer wants to hold a battery charge.  I suppose I could get a new battery but since I'm no longer under contract I thought it would be good time to shop around for a new phone or even a new service provider.  I've looked on the Internet and the variety of phones available is mind boggling.  I use my phone as a phone and I do use the txt feature as well but that is it.  Any suggestions?

Nobody has a phone they like?

I have Verizon. I dislike them, but I don't think any of the other carriers are any better, and I fear change.

I think it depends where you are - last I heard, Verizon has better coverage in DC than AT&T (my friend switched to AT&T to get the iPhone, and he hates the coverage), but it varies.

If all you need is a phone, not a mp3 playing/googling/tracking device just get whichever one comes free with signing a new plan. That's what I do.

edit: Oh, and I like LG phones - the ones I've had have lasted a long time.

when i had verizon, i liked the phone service

• - i never had dropped calls
• - never had a problem not having a signal
• -i got what i paid for

their customer service sucked though (they misapplied a payment i made to someone else's account and it was a major hassle to get it corrected and the CS rep was so rude to me, meanwhile it was the company's fault the whole time)

now i have alltel

• i get dropped calls from time to time
• i can't always get a signal in more remote areas, which unfortunately i have to be in
• so the phone service is eh in the area where i live now
  

but their customer service has been great the two times i've called them (when my daughter went nuts with going over our allotted minutes and then another time when she discovered texting and went nuts by sending and receiving over 800 text messages in a month at .50 cents each)

I've had verizon for the past 8 or 9 years or so and while I've had some issues, overall, my experience with them has been positive.

I am going to second the LG phones as I don't believe I've owned any other type of phone in the past 5 years or so (and I upgrade as often as possible, or I buy a new one on ebay if need be). My old phones are still perfectly fine when I get a new one.. I just like new electronics a lot.

I have the LG Dare currently, but it's probably a lot more than  you need. I woul suggest the LG EnV 2, which has a full keyboard for texting, but is really simple to use and gets great service.

Phonescoop.com will give you customer reviews on all the phones that are out right now for all carriers. That would be my suggestion.

T-mobile is mine. No complaints. Easy online phone purchasing, and upgrading. Good customer service.

I have AT&T, i would not recommend it. I don't get signals at times. At my previous job they gave me a blackberry and it was by T Mobile, i liked it.

I will say having a camera phone is useful on the off chance that you need to record damage to a vehicle in a collision.

I have AT&T. I do have a problem getting service inside a lot of buildings (not sure if it's the provider or my crappy phone though?). And their coverage sucks for when I travel to my home town (remote area), I don't get service for most of the ride.

I have T-mobile, and I like it pretty well. Whenever I've had to talk to customer service reps they are nice, and usually solve my problems. But, just make sure you understand the rules whenever you change your packages! Only change them right when your billing cycle switches, or they will charge you for both packages that month! Bunch of jerks.

Original Post by hayleymajayley:

I have T-mobile, and I like it pretty well. Whenever I've had to talk to customer service reps they are nice, and usually solve my problems. But, just make sure you understand the rules whenever you change your packages! Only change them right when your billing cycle switches, or they will charge you for both packages that month! Bunch of jerks.

 That's not cool.

I have an iPhone so I have ATT.  I have no problems with their coverage here in Southern California.  I probably would never have gotten an iPhone on my own, but it has turned out to be very handy at times.  A GPS can be a lifesaver and being able to check the net for addresses or movie times is also great.  Its expensive, but I like it.

I agree with the LG phones... I have a basic LG camera phone and it's never given me any problems (unlike my beloved red razr that crapped out on me).

BUT I would say don't go with AT&T!  I had Sprint for two years and switched because my parents kicked me off their plan when I graduated college, and AT&T didn't make me pay a deposit so I went for it.  I drop calls all the time, and can't get calls out at all sometimes.  Text messages will get to me the day after someone sent them, and picture texts have shown up a week later.  

Sprint was okay when I had them... Unless I was in one of a few dead spots around the city, I had great reception and never dropped a call.

My boyfriend has Verizon and loves it... I actually will probably switch to them when my contract with AT&T is up.

Any provider OTHER than AT&T I would say.  Coverage is spotty at best.

I currently have t-mobile and like them fine. I've been with Verizon before, didn't mind them - their customer service wasn't great, but they usually worked with you. However, DO NOT go with Alltel!!! They took over my previous provider and said that "nothing would change" - that was a total lie!! When I had some mishaps with my minutes and coverage on vacation, I called them to talk to them about it, and they wouldn't not work with me at all. It took a lot of calls, talking to managers, threatening to go above the managers, etc. One rep would tell me one thing, another would tell me total opposite. It was such a hassle for something that could have easily been taken care of.

So, moral of the story - verizon & t-mobile aren't bad, but alltel sucks.

I live in SoCal and have Tmobile it works well except at my house, which can really be a pain.

I used to have AT&T but it didn't always work well in many places.

I just use what ever old free phone the'll give, which has no camera or anything.

Best coverage in my particular area is Verizon.  Best customer service in general no one, but today Verizon has been extremely sweet to me (waiting for the shoe to drop).

If you like your current phone, get a new battery off e-bay and continue your coverage with the monthly contract.  I expect that in the next 6 months that the cell phone providers are going to be getting hungry and will come up with some very attractive offers.  If you don't like your current phone, I'd still get a new battery off e-bay and wait a few months.

verizon is the best cell phone carrier on the market as far as service and coverage but as far as a decent plan thats a good price and nice priced phones with loads of futures they dont have it but customer service they do have with verizon higher then any other carrier i say just stay with verizon the best company for the money

T-mobile is mine! I've been with them for more than two years. I have no complaints. I always have full bars, and easy to pay by check by phone. It is awesome!

I have and only have ever had, Sprint. Going on 11 years. Every so often I get a free phone - which does take threatening to cancel because wtf they offer new customers free phones but existing customers only get $100 credit? I don't think so!

I had them shut off text messaging. someone can send me a text, and i will never get it, never get charged for it, and the other person has no clue.

My reception with sprint has always been better than anyone else - but this is also in part to the phones I pick (Sanyo almost all 10+ years) they have very long battery life also.

I do not use internet on my phone, I do not use text, I only just now got a phone with a camera but never use it, because I don't want to bother with uploading crappy pictures.

My neighbor has AT&T and highly recommends it also. We live way way out in the country and while I can't get reception inside my house sometimes or up to .1 miles away, he can get it inside his house most of the time. Other neighbors with other carriers don't get reception unless they are at least 1 mile away (except for the people way up high on the hill!)

Most people switch companies when they want a new phone. With sprint you can get a new phone every, what 18 months now? you do have to threaten to leave them before they will give you credit for almost any phone you want. Everyone in my family has them (or nextel) so I can call my mother, my sister, my husband, my aunt, my uncle, my other aunt, my other uncle, all 3 of my cousins always for free. And we all threaten to leave Sprint to get new phones :) I got a new one a couple months ago, as did my husband and my sister just got one of those fancy blackberry things from them for free also, or paid maybe $25.

I used Verizon for 14 years.  When I moved to my current house there was absolutely no reception.  Actually, once you get off the highway, that's pretty much it.  I stayed with them for another year as promises of new towers were up and coming but it never happened.

My husband and I actually did trials with each phone company for 30 days to see which we liked best and Sprint/Nextel had us the minute we brought them home.  I can actually get service near my home.  He travels and is sometimes in situations where he shouldn't get service and he does.  In a couple of the buildings that most don't get service, his phone does.

We use the Motorola phones with Direct Connect.  He gets the types that are nearly indestructible because of the work he does.  I just got the cheapest one with Direct Connect and I get service on almost all the rural roads.

We've only been with them 3 years but haven't had any issues yet.