Ok, I sell wireless phones, and as far as rates and as far as the service and rates go, that is completely regional. As far as equipment goes, stay away from Motorola, phones, Startacs are overpriced and are a real POS, battery life is terrible. Nokia makes the best phones. The 5100 series is the most common and easy to use, the 6100 series phones have a few more bells and whistles than the 5100 series phones, and to the casual user, the extra cost isnt justified. I use in excess of 3000 minutes a month, and I have a Nokia 5190. Now the choice between digital and analog is easy, go digtal, it will be cheaper, you will get much longer battery life, you will get a clear call as long as you have a signal. You will also be aforded the possibility of additional features not available with analog such as caller ID, call waiting, voice mail, etc... With an analog phone, call clarity is directly depndent on signal strength. Now once you get into digital phones, there is a digital hierarchy, at the top of the list is GSM (Global Service for Mobal Communications), followed by TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access), followed by CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access). First of all, do your homework in your area and find out rates and lengths of contracts if they are required at all. You will also want to look at your coverage area and ask about roaming charges. Don't be fooled by getting a free phone being a better deal, The more willing they are to give you a free phone, the more likely you are to get screwed, so be careful. I hope this helps.
-Georgia Boy