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.