Here is the deal. I pay a little over 60 dollars a month for my cell phone service through Cingular. It isn't what I need though. I need something that has a VAST amount more of text messages (a plan with 1000 texts or unlimited is preferable) and a minimal amount of minutes (like to have 200 but could settle for 100)…I would like to also be able to get a free or cheap phone when I sign up for my new service. I would like the ability to send pictures, even if it's on a contingancy (pay per use) bases. I would like to have nationwide long distance but that's pretty much a given now. Does anyone have a suggestion on what the absolute best deal (cheapest) I could get away with many or unlimited text and minimal minutes? I need to save at least 10 dollars a month off my current bill in order to justify paying cingular the buyout.
several services aren't available in my area. i believe the ones that ARE are sprint, us cellular, cell-one, nextel, maybe alltel, cingular (kinda) i think that's about it, but i'd be willing to get a long distance number so long as i wouldn't be roaming here…

Tmobile has the best for price wise and amount… the only catch is… that they DO offer unlimited texting but only during several times of the year, it took me three months of having their service before I could finally upgrade to unlimited for only 10 bucks a month! I text all the time so I needed a ton of messages. I am currently on Verizon but just left Tmobile about a month ago because they didnt have service out in the boonies where I needed it. That is the ONLY bad thing about tmobile is that their coverage is usually limited to cities with a population more than 10,000 people.
Verizon has decent plans for price but I do feel their texting is a bit overpriced… for 20 bucks a month i only get 2500 messages. And DONT waste your money on V-Cast services for music or anything, just buy a data cable for less than 10 bucks and a 1 gb memory card from ebay for like 30 and have all the free music you want on your phone.
Their plans run from 30-200 dollars

These are the only two providers I would recommend other than Cingular

I'm trying to buy my first cell phone. I'm trying to find a phone with a plan that has free texting, and a pay of $20.00-$25.00 or less a month. Any prepaid phone plans like this would be fine. Any ideas out there?

if your looking for a prepaid, go to wal-mart or K-mart and pick out one there from a company.
(an alltel, verizon, ATT, etc. prepaid)
and bring it to the company to get it activated
a cheap phone, then get a low monthly contract

-see my new question!-

I just got a new cell phone and I also just bluetoothed a lot of cool ring tones onto my old phone. Is there anyway to get them from my old phone to my new one? I was thinking if I put someone elses SIM card into my old phone and mine into my new one, that that would be the only way it would work? How about it? Anyone know any other suggestions?
My new phone is a motorola slvr L7 and my old one is a motorola v551. I think the problem is that I have to have a working SIM card in both. I have 2 SIM cards, but i think only one per # can be activated at a time.

most phone companies don't allow for this. they actually lock the ringtone to the phone. what you can do, (like if you have t-mobile) is call customer care, 611 from your t-mobile phone, tell the customer care representative, and if you are sweet and nice they'll probably resend them to your new phone.

i have an lg dare and a usb cord can with it, and vcast music costs a lot, and i just want free ring tones WITHOUT premium messaging. please help.

http://www.ventones.com

great free ringtone site
free, safe,
self explanatory
follow instructions when you click on your phone or carrier, they will guide you step by step to set your ringtone, very easy,

i want to find ring tones cuase im in a tight schedule but need them in wap form and for free, any suggestoins?

you can go to this website

Ventones (.com)
you can upload a song and make
your own ringtone
its totally FREE and safe
they dont send any ads..

I'm planning to buy a cell phone to my 14 year old cousin, but I know almost nothing about them. I've heard today's cell phones take snapshots, video and access the internet. Which do you recommend me to buy and where? Thanks.

If you want to buy a smartphone i would recomend t-mobile mda, and if yo want to buy just a cell phone with really good features, i will reomend Samsung T519, it does everything and i is the world's slimmest phone.

I have a family of 6, all of whom are of the proper age for a cell phone. The problem is I can't seem to find a plan that will allow for 6 family members. They all seem to offer for 5, but I don't want to leave someone out. Are there any family plans that would cover 6 people? If so, which do you recommend and which are the cheapest?

Any family plan you can add more lines. I do not think they have a limit to how many people you can add. Do it at store they will help you better than online