Choosing the Best Cellphone Plans and Providers: Part 2

With the rampant emergence of smart-phones into the consumer market, the pricing on usage plans costs a pretty penny nowadays, and if you haven't read it already, you should click here to see the first part in this two-part article series. You'll find all the quick tips we've covered about learning how to pick out phones and plans. In this half of the series, we are cunductinging a direct comparison of the two cell-phone providers said among consumers to be the cheapest, and have the best deals for their customers. Verizon and T-Mobile. Before we get into our comparison however, lets refer back to our wishlist for a quick refresher on what we (someone searching for the cheapest possible monthly bill, who wants a decent device as well) are looking for:

The Wish-list:

1. Best Phone (touch screen, camera, wifi enabled, social networking and email capabilities)
2. Best Plan (2-year or no contract, minimum of 1000 text messages per month, available calling minutes (we don't make a ton of phone calls), and internet access)
3. Best Price (below $40 per month)

So, we know that, based on this list, we want a pre-paid plan, or some sweet contract deal if we can fiind it.

Before I published this article, I did a lot of reading and perusing of forums online to get an objective perspective of public opinion on the Verizon Vs. T-Mobile debate. I myself have never been a customer of T-Mobile but I personally will be switching soon.

The easiest way to compare these two providers will be a series of lists, it makes for lighter, quicker reading.

General Pros and Cons:

Verizon: Pros

• Wider (and is said by some to have stronger) coverage than T-Mobile.
• More users than T-Mobile by almost 20 million, which presents an advantage for free mobile-to-mobile calling.
• Carries state of the art smart-phones, namely the Droid.

Cons:

• Tends to be expensive, with many additional fees such as data usage with smart-phones.
• International usage is not included, whereas T-Mobile does not restrict phone usage to the USA.
• Pre-paid/pay-as-you-go plans are more expensive for less benefits, than T-Mobile

T-mobile Pros:

• Cheapest of all mainstream providers across the board from smart-phones to pre-paid phones.
• Said to have excellent customer service by users.
• International usage ability.
• Large selection of free phones (with two-year contract)
• Carries large collection of newer smart-phones such as the HTC line, the MyTouch etc.

Cons:

• Service signal strength has been reported as weak by some users.
• Does not carry a netbook line as does Verizon.

Usage Plan Comparison (covering smart-phone usage, family plan, and pre-paid):

Verizon Smart-Phone Plans: Palm Pixi Plus

• Phone Cost: $0 (with contract)
• Plan Cost: $59.99 (cheapest talk/text) - $89.99 (most expensive talk/text unlim.) plus an additional $29.99 required data pack (unlim. usage)

Family Plans:

• $99.99 (cheapest talk/text) - $149.99 (most expensive talk/text unlim.) plus choice of $9.99 data plan (3G phones/multimedia phones) - $29.99 (mandatory for smartphones, unlim. usage)

Pre-paid Plans: Best Phone: Samsung Intensity

• $64.99 (cheapest talk/text w/unlimited texting) - $94.99 (most expensive talk/text w/unlimited texting)

T-Mobile (Assuming you opt for a 2-year contract) Smart-Phone Plans: HTC HD2

• Phone Cost: $49.99
• Plan Cost: $49.99 (cheapest talk/text w/unlim texting) - $69.99 (most expensive talk/text w/unlim. texting)

Family Plans:

• $69.99 (cheapest talk/text w/unlim. texting) - $99.99 (most expensive w/unlim talk/text)

Pre-paid Plans: Best Phone: T-Mobile Tap

• $15.00 (cheapest talk($0.10 per min)/unlim. text) - $50.00 (most expensive w/ unlim. everything)

So as you can see, T-Mobile runs from $10-$30 cheaper for (comparable services) than Verizon. So now reader, it is up to you to make your final, all-important decision. Hopefully you have found this information helpful, and in the case that you would like to hear third-party voices, simply refer to the links below.