phones

I'm thinking of finally getting a real phone plan (I've only ever used prepaid) and a decent phone. I'm not looking at spending big amounts per month, so am checking out some of the cheaper caps.

Does anyone have network and/or plan recs (or anti-recs), or tips on things I should be on the lookout for? Ditto for phones, my current one is an el cheapo since I bought it upfront :)