Today's cell phones offer web surfing, email retrieval, and a bunch of other stuff that you probably never would have believed would fit in your hand. But what if all you really want to do is just go wireless-without all the extras?

The good news is that it's a buyer's market. The industry is so competitive now it's quite easy to get a good deal that doesn't require a long-term commitment, cancellation fees, or even an activation fee.

Your first choice will be between analog and digital. Analog cellular's older technology is more vulnerable to eavesdropping and theft than digital, and rates tend to be higher. But analog's long life translates to the widest coverage-worth considering if you need to make calls in less urban areas--and phones are cheaper.

Within digital, your two options are cellular and PCS (which are often mistakenly used interchangeably). Though digital cellular and PCS (personal communications services) offer some of the same features, PCS networks are far newer, so their coverage can be sparse in non-metro areas. Unless your wireless needs are highly tied to the Internet, there's not much benefit in going with PCS over cellular-unless, of course, you find yourself with a better deal.

Next comes the plan. To get the right one, consider where you plan to use your phone. Locally? Nationally? Per-minute "roaming" charges can add up quickly if you make or receive calls outside your local calling area (which varies by location, but tends to be relatively consistent across carriers). Corporate rates, usually available if there are at least five phones activated, can help lower your monthly costs. Plans usually require monthly payments that include a set amount of "free" airtime, which is sometimes divided into "peak" and "off-peak" minutes. (And remember, these minutes are used up whether you're making the calls or receiving them.) Exceeding this will usually cost you on a per-minute basis, so ideally your plan should bill by the second, not the minute.

Unsure about your usage? Go with a plan that will allow you to switch later on and get billed retroactively at that rate.

Also, be sensible about the phone features you choose. If you've never heard of a feature and it costs extra, skip it. But don't skimp on the basics: if you are used to having call waiting and voice mail, you'll be annoyed without the same options on your cell phone. Also, know that both the phone AND the carrier need to support a feature in order to use it.

Then there's the phone itself. It's less likely these days to get a free phone with your service, but phones are getting cheaper and slimmer all the time, with some pretty fancy ones available for less than $200. Unfortunately, phones usually can't be used across carriers, so you probably won't be able to switch carriers without buying a new phone.

On that note, your best bet is to get your carrier to agree to a no-strings trial period of a month. Nothing will show you how you like the phone-and the service-better than actual practice.

Quick tips

Sorry, wrong number. Make sure you aren't billed for the first minute of incoming calls, so you don't have to pay for misdialed numbers. Customer service woes. Wireless customer service is said to be suffering. To get a sense for you will be treated, call them first-on the customer service line, not the sales line. Distance yourself. Consider carriers that have a national network if you expect to dial long-distance often. Rates can be more competitive.