My experience (having just purchased a new phone and plan recently) is that there are a zillion diffent points of view based on everyone's subjective experience in whatever environment they live. Any one phone can range from "horrendous" to the "best I've ever owned", etc., and everyone's experience with a particular carrier is, well, just that--their own experience. (I was burned be a carrier that some others swear by!) That said, my advice is twofold:

1) Find out whether you'll need analog coverage (basically for traveling in rural areas). Some carriers are digital only, and some phones are likewise. For myself, "trimode" was a must (i.e., the ability to use digital or analog signals).

2) Look at whatever phones are offered by a particular carrier and then go and do research on those model numbers. Don't buy impulsively because of cool features! Many multifeatured phones have crummy reception. Realize, too, that some carriers disable some of the phone's own firmware so that you have to purchase features from them on a monthly basis instead. (Starts with a "V"!) As stated by others, there are many websites for phone comparisons, and seeing the composite opinion of 100 people gives a better idea than one or two friends.