No one is untouched by the rising wave of mobile culture today and teenagers are the most effected of this. If you want to have a new mobile phone and are confused as which mobile phone carrier you should go for then you should possibly think over a few things and then arrive at some decision. You should always choose a carrier, then a service plan and at the last about your hardware.

Compare competing carriers coverage

1. You should make sure that the prospective carriers services works where you are and you intend to be most of the times. Most of the carriers provide the maps of their service areas and in case you travel a lot then you should go for a national coverage.

2. You can ask your friends and colleagues about the carrier they use and whether they are satisfied of its services. Then ask them to check the reception by making some calls at your home or office because there is nothing worse than the dead spot where you spend most of your time.

3. You can check the data services such as e-mail, internet access, pictures or games that are available which you want.

Compare various service plans

1. You should look at your needs such as if you stay near to your home then you can go for a plan with unlimited local callings or if you travel a lot then you can choose from a national plan that can save your money else roaming charges will add up in hurry.

2. If you have the mobile phone u sage throughout the day then anytime minutes would be better deal as compared to night and weekend minutes.

3. You should know where you call because mobile phone plans can include free long distance that is a huge money saver if you make long distance calls very frequently.

4. You can ask for standard features such as call waiting, voice mail, caller id to be included in your plan at no extra cost.

5. You should look for a plan that has rollover minutes and dont expire at the end of the month if your calling pattern varies over time.

6. You should watch for rounding up because many carriers round phone time to its nearest minute.

7. You can also check for package plans for data services if you plan to use those services more often as these could add extra charge per month.

8. Then look for a plan with a low cancellation fee if you think that your needs might change. You should ask your carrier to switch you at no cost to a plan that is more suitable for you in the near future.

Later, you can ask for free phones and can get some good full featured phones when you sign a one or two year contact.