Cellular providers offer dizzying array of options

Is there anything more complicated for consumers than picking a cellphone company?

While most people already have a provider, they usually made their choice in a different era, when the options and their needs were very different. Now that it’s easier to change your carrier, since you can keep your phone number, many people are taking a new look at the offerings out there — and the picture can be baffling.

There are now four national carriers — Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile USA Inc., Cingular Wireless and Sprint Nextel Corp. — and a bevy of regional providers. What’s more, an increasing number of specialty operators target groups from teenagers to Hispanics to sports fans. Even children: Walt Disney Co. plans to launch a service next year, likely marketing to kids as young as eight years old.

What’s the right option for you? It depends on where you live, how much time you spend on the phone, whether you travel outside the U.S. and what time of day you make most of your calls. New services, such as Web browsing, sending photos and checking email, also can figure into the equation.

Here’s a list of questions to ask when picking a cellphone service — and the answers:

Which carrier has the best coverage in my area?

This is obviously the most important question. If only it were so easy to answer.

In general, Verizon Wireless leads the pack in consumer surveys on customer satisfaction — a category that usually includes coverage, along with billing and customer service. The carrier, a joint venture of Verizon Communications Inc. and Vodafone Group PLC, finished at the top in all 17 markets surveyed recently by Consumer Reports. In 10 of the cities, though, Verizon Wireless’s lead wasn’t statistically meaningful, and in a few areas T-Mobile finished a close second or tied.

But the picture can be even hazier than that. Reliability of coverage can vary widely within a given location, so even if one carrier gets top marks for your area, it may not suit your needs.

I care more about price than dropped calls. So where do I find the cheapest minutes?

In general, T-Mobile is consistently the cheapest, and Nextel — now part of Sprint — and Verizon Wireless are generally the most expensive. For example, a $39.99 national plan from T-Mobile gets you 600 “anytime” minutes, along with unlimited night and weekend calling; for that same price, Verizon Wireless offers 450 such minutes, plus the unlimited calling on nights and weekends.

But there are caveats. That Verizon Wireless plan, for example, includes free calling to other Verizon Wireless subscribers; the T-Mobile plan doesn’t have a similar provision. Plus, Nextel’s higher rates may be worth it if you plan to use its Direct Connect feature a lot: The carrier offers customers unlimited minutes for this walkie-talkie-like connection to other subscribers. For example, while a $79.99 per month plan from Nextel will only get you 800 prime-time minutes — compared with 1,500 from T-Mobile — the Nextel plan includes unlimited walkie-talkie time. It also includes free incoming calls.

And don’t forget roaming charges, which can cost 50 cents per minute or more. If you travel a lot, you should consider upgrading to plans that include roaming, particularly if your travels are unpredictable or often take you to places your carrier doesn’t cover.

What if I really need the cellphone only in emergencies?

If all you want is a cellphone for the glove compartment, look into a “prepaid” service. With these deals, offered by all the major carriers, you buy minutes up front, freeing you from a lengthy contract with high monthly fees. On the downside, the minutes usually come at a steep premium to the regular price, and they expire if you don’t use them.

A typical prepaid plan is Cingular’s GoPhone. You buy a phone, starting at $59.99, and from there buy buckets of minutes. Each minute of calling can cost as much as 25 cents, far more expensive than a standard plan; the buckets start at $15 a pop. And the minutes can expire in as little as 30 days. Bigger buckets have longer expiration dates; a $100 bucket will last six months. Even a cheap yearlong contract is going to cost you at least twice that amount during the same time period.

I need a phone for my kids. What’s the best option?

Several carriers, like Virgin Mobile USA LLC and Sprint Nextel’s Boost Mobile, have crafted prepaid service plans aimed at teenagers. This means you can limit how much your kids talk by only buying a certain amount of minutes. On the other hand, the per-minute charges will likely be much higher than those in a traditional plan.

You may also consider getting a family add-on plan through your existing carrier. Many carriers, including Cingular, Verizon, Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile, have plans that allow you to add an additional number and phone to your account, generally for $10 a month. The extra phone dips into the monthly minutes from your primary phone. And calling between family members is often unlimited.

What’s the best gadget for checking my email on the road?

Many consumers gravitate to hand-held gadgets like Research In Motion Inc.’s BlackBerry line or Palm Inc.’s Treo. These combo phones, which are sold by wireless carriers, feature a full keyboard for composing messages and can be connected to your work email and other office functions.

They generally have ample battery life, and many — with the notable exception of BlackBerry models — can accept a memory card that gives them the capacity to carry huge amounts of data. The downside of these models is that they’re much bulkier and more expensive than regular cellphones. Sprint Nextel, for instance, sells the popular Treo 650 for $400 after discounts.

Most carriers have at least one other model besides Treos and Blackberrys. Sprint Nextel offers a folding Samsung Electronics Co. “smart phone” loaded with pocket-scale versions of popular Microsoft programs, but the phone lacks a keyboard, making those features much harder to use.

What’s the best plan if I want to send photos, video clips and text messages, and browse the Web?

All the cellular carriers offer phones equipped with cameras, Web access and messaging capabilities. Verizon Wireless’s data network is the fastest so far, but the other carriers are all planning upgrades that will improve speed.

Bills for sending messages or going online can add up pretty fast if you don’t sign up for a data package. Many carriers charge 10 cents for each text message, and Verizon Wireless charges 25 cents each to send or receive photo or video messages.

In terms of packages, T-Mobile offers 400 messages of any type for $5 a month and unlimited messaging for $15. Sprint Nextel offers its Vision plans, which cost $10 to $25 a month for unlimited text and picture messaging, along with email and instant messaging from Yahoo and AOL. Subscribers also get a $5 discount on downloading ringtones. Verizon Wireless customers can buy packages for $5 to $15 a month that include unlimited messaging with other Verizon Wireless customers and packages of messages to non-Verizon contacts.

If you want to buy the new Rokr handset from Motorola Inc. that plays music from Apple Computer Inc.’s iTunes Music Store, it is available only through Cingular, at $249.99, and a two-year service contract is required.