So you’re nearing the end of your current cell phone contract and you’ve decided you’re ready for a new phone.  How do you choose?

Carrier Carrier Carrier…

So this should be your first and most important question.  In years past some people would select their phone first and then have to go with whatever carrier that phone was tied to.  Of course I’m mainly speaking about the iPhone.  For a long time the iPhone was the only and best game in town and if you wanted a great smartphone you had no choice but to select AT&T.  But that is not the case any longer.  Not only is the iPhone available on both AT&T and Verizon, but there are many other very good smartphones on all the major carriers.  Android and Windows Phone 7 have some very appealing options so now you can first choose your carrier before selecting your phone.  When choosing the carrier there are two important factors to consider.  First and foremost is coverage.  If you are really going to be happy with your phone you will want to have the best 3G or 4G coverage available where you live and work.  After coverage you will want to consider pricing for the plans.  If you are wanting a smartphone that requires a data plan the rates from each carrier can vary quite a bit so keep that in mind and do your research.

Smartphone, Feature Phone, or Dumbphone…

Your next step is to consider the type of phone that is right for you.  You may be the type of person that just wants a phone for making phone calls and nothing more.  Believe it or not but each carrier still offers just plain old cell phones that don’t require any extra data or feature plans.  Or maybe you want a phone that is not a “computer in your pocket” but still offers additional features that will make your life easier.  These phones may require extra data or feature plans but are not likely as expensive as the premium smartphone plans.  Finally more and more persons are choosing smartphones.  These are the premium devices that cost more upfront and more per month due to the amount of data that these use.

Smartphones – which is right for you?

Here is where many would have you believe it gets more complicated, but that’s really not the case.  Android, iPhone, and Windows Phone 7 really offer many similar features and in deciding which is right for you it’s really a personal preference.  I’d recommend going and taking your time with each phone in the store to decide which you like the best.  I probably would not recommend Blackberry at this point.  The more I read about the company it really seems that they are a sinking ship.

So have you recently purchased a new phone?  What did you choose and why?  I’d love to hear about it in the comments below.