Cell phones come in all shapes and sizes. It can feel pretty overwhelming when your first looking for a new phone. Should I upgrade to a smartphone? Do I have a need for a data-plan? Don't let people push you into making decisions you are not comfortable with. If you are an existing customer, try calling your carrier and asking them if you are eligible for an upgrade. There are plenty of websites such as http://www.consumerreports.org that offer tools which can allow you to compare side by side cell phones based on your needs. In a world that's full of data, tools like consumer reports and cnet reviews are extremely important for making informed decisions. Also, try using other sources to purchase a new cell phone and plan. You can often get brand new phones for free just by using a third party vendor such as http://www.wirefly.com/ Sites like wirefly allow you to sign up through a carrier of your choice, but can also get you very good deals on all the favorite phone models. Sometimes the deals are even better than going directly through the carrier.

When shopping for cell phones, you should make sure that it includes all of the features that you want in a phone. You might also want to consider signing up for a media package because overages can be very expensive!!

There are a wide variety of cellphones offered on the market today ranging from simply phones that just make calls to smart phones that can surf the Web and send e-mails. Identify the features you want so you do not overpay on your plan. If you only need to make calls you don't need a cellphone with an expensive data plan. Many cellphones can be purchased at a reduced cost with a 2 year contract.