Everyone uses a cell phone these days.  We no longer meet friends without some form of cell phone communication while en route to meet one another, or when trying to find one another at a public venue.  Gone are the days of phone booths to allow you to talk when you are away from home, now you can just conveniently dial from the phone in hand.  We shop, eat and walk using our cell phones.  There are also those people who use their phones at inappropriate times such as in movies, restrooms or another intimate setting.  Old, young and middle aged men and women are all using phones, and everyone is interested in the cool looking phones.  For you, the best cell phone deal may depend on what your calling needs are.  

You may get the best cell phone deal of the year on a Blackberry, Treo, HTC or other advanced device, but if you do not use the Internet or e-mail services the deal is not good for you.  Most cell phone providers require you to have some form of a data plan on these types of phones.  Prices for data plans range from $20.00 - $60.00 more a month.  This is in addition to the cost of your current plan and services.  Lower rates are available with data package bundled with voice and/or messaging plans.  People who own a business or work mobile for a company will benefit most from these phones and plans.  It can be too much money to spend just to carry a cool looking hi-tech phone.  Sometimes blocks can be placed on your plan so you cannot mistakenly connect, but you will not get the most out of what those phones have to offer.  Paying only if you use it is an option with some plans, but the charges can add up quickly and end in a hefty charge on your bill.  

The PDA and Blackberry style devices have additional capabilities that can be to many users' advantage.  There are those which have a USB connection and a software installed on a personal computer or laptop, and you can use many of these devices to serve as your Internet connection similar to a modem.  E-mails, documents, presentations and contacts can also be synced from a computer to the device depending on the available features.  

There are many phones that look like a mini computer that do not require the additional data packages, and you can still have one of the latest neat looking phones.  There are phones with full QWERTY keyboards for text messaging.  Cameras on phones allow you to snap and save or send pictures.  Messaging packages are available if you plan to use the phone to send and receive texts or pictures.  Navigation, music and menu driven Internet packages are available on many regular cell phones.