Cell phones rock! But if you thought choosing your last piece of Star Trek spawned technology, service provider, and calling plan was tough as asking a Klingon to refuse a physical challenge, just wait until you use the list of the world’s best cell phones to find one and try it. The convoluted puzzles that are the latest plans are confusing to figure out and the multitude of phones themselves have become complex beyond comprehension to the average Mary or Joe. Digital camera are commonplace on even the most basic of models, and MP3 players are increasingly popular. With each new feature hatching new services and new costs as manufacturers rush to be the first to bring new, innovative, features onto the marketplace and reap the financial benefits.

This is where we can help by providing you with the information to make your own informed choices about the cell phone, service provider and calling plan you choose. If your planning on replacing your phone check out my hub “The Best Web Browsing Phones In The World”, but if your looking for a better deal on your service provider and calling plan then the last one you had, stick around we have what your looking for here.

If your just looking for a new cell phone because the contract with your carrier is up, check to see which cell phones will work with your present carrier. Unless your familiar with the model your considering purchasing, there is no substitute for visiting a walk-in store and assessing the feel of the model your considering with your own hands. Surveys indicate readers experiences have been better with online transactions, so you might get better results completing the deal online.

In a recent survey of 18,000 subscribers of Consumer Reports, 65% of respondents to the survey bought a cell phone from a service provider’s Web site and were completely satisfied with the service, compared to 55% who bought at the provider’s walk-in store.

When browsing for a new cell phone or carrier, don’t be swayed by someone offering you a discount, discounts have become the standard, with 89% of the people involved in the survey saying they got one.

If you want to try a new provider, competition is a good thing. In a separate survey conducted by industry experts; nearly twenty-five percent of respondents reported switching to a new carrier during the first three years, mostly due to poor service. If this struck a nerve then start looking for a new provider here.

A prospective buyer should note that even if your happy with your current cell phone, chances are you won’t be able to take it with you when you go to a new provider. This is because providers sometimes use incompatible networks, but also because providers “lock” their phones electronically to discourage customers from going to another provider. A recent federal ruling allows consumers to unlock their cell phones for use with other networks, but this can only be done easily with a few cell phones.

If you have a cell phone that works on the GSM network, used by T-Mobile and Cingular, ask the new provider whether your old phone will work on their network. Even if you can keep using your old cell phone though you may have to pay your new provider or a third party, such as www.unlockmyphonenow.com, $10 to $40 to free it up. Unfortunately, if your phone works on the older CDMA network if probably can’t be transferred to your new provider, so your next option may be to donate or recycle it. For more information on what to do with an old cell phone, visit the website www.GreenerChoices.org.

If the price is the issue, remember you can usually make a deal with the provider to move to one of your current carrier’s other plans, without additional financial penalties. But be aware that switching can mean having to extend your current contract, pay new activation fees, or surrender any rollover minutes you’ve accumulated while using your original agreement.

Surveys indicate that nearly half of respondents who switched plans did so because they wanted more minutes, a move that can save you nasty charges for exceeding your monthly allotment. But, if you don’t use your cell phone much, consider switching to a more basic monthly plan with fewer minutes and this will save you money.

Replacing your cell phone is usually not a good idea while your still under contract with a provider, unless you absolutely need to, because the carrier or other authorized dealer won’t be as generous with discounts. If you have lost or broken your cell phone and don’t want to pay through the nose for a replacement, don’t worry, you can often find a less expensive replacement on eBay or other related websites.

That’s it for this hub, look for additional hubs on related material to this article in the next few days, I will be talking about my survey of carriers and which one maybe the best for your needs and purposes. Happy phoning!