I was a happy Verizon subscriber. Verizon had good coverage, average pricing plans for minutes, and the "new every two" phone plan. But I was naive. In 2006 I was looking for a new phone on new-every-two. I checked the Motorola Razr on-line. This is a kickin' phone. You can customize the main menu and customize the 2 soft-keys and 4 navigation keys on the keypad. In short, the Razr lets you customize the phone to access every favorite function just the way it makes sense to you. I planned to put the datebook and phonebook on the two soft keys and link the 4 other navigation keys to other applications I use often like mobile web and the alarm clock. So I purchased Verizon's Razr. I was shocked the minute I turned it on. Calling Verizon's phone a "Razr" is false advertising. The only thing in common is the case (more about Verizon Razr quality at the end). The soft keys are not only not programmable, they point to features I don't use, like Verizon's extra-cost Pix and Flix. All but one of the shortcut buttons on the phone were useless to me. The phone menus were vastly shortened, and the customizable features were removed. The bluetooth was disabled so I couldn't transfer files to the phone. Verizon had completely crippled the awesome Razr phone. I returned Verizon's razr within the satisfaction-guaranteed period, and since my 2-year contract was up, I went shopping for a provider who would let me have my phone of choice, unadulterated. Right away, CDMA providers like Verizon and US Cellular ruled themselves out. I found out that all CDMA providers lock and customize their phones, that is, they customize it how *they* want it, not how *you* want it. Then I found two flexible providers: T-Mobile and Cingular. The pricing plans were very comparable (T-mobile's pricing is the best, and Cingular better in some ways than Verizon). With T-Mobile or Cingular I could buy any unlocked unadulterated GSM phone I wanted and use it on my service plan. So I tried out Cingular (unfortunately T-Mobile couldn't offer number portability for my number). The coverage has been great everywhere I've gone so far, and the reception is BETTER in my house. Better yet, since I now have a kickin' quad-band Razr phone, I took the phone to Europe and switched out the sim card so I had European cell phone service - and I still had my entire address book in the phone plus all the customizable features I love. At home, I can switch phones any day I want by switching the sim card (occasionally a lady likes to coordinate her accessories!) Having the phone you want is SO easy with a GSM provider. And what about that Verizon "satisfaction guarantee"? Verizon took about 3 months to credit the phone back to our credit card and even then, only after weeks and weeks of calls and visits. We had a receipt showing the credit the day we took the phone back to the store, but they never issued the credit to the card. We called the store over and over and over and over, week after week, to find out why the credit hadn't appeared. Verizon was pointing fingers internally (corporate was supposed to do it - the systems don't interconnect - the records were blah blah blah) and nobody was delivering a credit. Finally, after the 3rd time we heard the news "corporate accounting is going to see it goes through by next Wednesday" it became true. So much for the satisfaction guarantee. Also, I know someone with a Verizon Razr (he shall remain nameless to protect his reputation). The bluetooth headset sounds very scratchy at distances over 3 to 4 feet, and we've tried it with two or three different headsets. Isn't being untethered the point of having bluetooth? Well, 3 feet sure feels like a tether to me. My GSM Razr, on the other hand, is flawless at over 30 feet with the same headsets. And, the Verizon's battery doesn't last as long as my GSM Razr battery.