Cell phone providers - Vancouver/Island... My first smart phone

[Coasting]

All right canreef! I have never owned (or for that matter used) a smart phone! I will be working on the Island soon and I think its about time I get one. Hey my phone is 5 years old and still flips, it sends basic texts and calls people, nice and simple and it still works!

I am looking to hear about your experiences with different service providers.

I want something that does Canada wide calling with decent roaming as I do frequent the US. Does it count as roaming if its a vancouver number/phone being used on the island? I will be going back and forth fairly often...

No idea what I need for Data... What do you go through on Data a month? I might want to upload pics to facebook, check e-mail, use msn, check my forums, that kind of stuff.

Unlimited calls/text would be nice as this would be my only phone.

I dont even know where to start :( This is all new to me... leaning towards an iPhone just for use of apps and what not.

Any help would be much appreciated, thanks guys!

[FragIt Dan]

I moved from Vancouver to Nanaimo and switched for Telus to Bell. I like Bell for good coverage and Vancouver is local for me, although Bell has offered all Canada as a local call for plans over $50 so that no longer matters. If you go with this, you may ask to keep your same number because then it will be no long distance for all your existing 'local' contacts to call you, it will be long distance for people in your new town though. I do a bit of web surfing and was ok with a 500mB plan, but got the free long distance by bumping up from $45 to $50 and so upgraded to the 1mB plan more to get the Canada as a local feature. If you are heading to US a lot in will cost way less to get a US based SIM (check eBay) as Bell and all the other companies will kill you on roaming fees. I am about to do this for a trip in June. Where are you moving to? Have fun moving your tank on the ferry, it is fun!
Dan

[Coasting]

Haha Tank will be staying here, at least for the time being.

Will be relocating to Parksville, renting for a few months until I know this Job will be permanent and stable. Not even going to chance it trying to rent a place with the Dog, 2 cats, the birds, the snakes, and all the fish tanks.... Gotta find a place that will at least take me and the dog for now.

I'm used to paying $15 a month for my current phone, and never actually using the darn thing. Will be a big shift going to something different.

I'm currently with Koodo. I do like the looks of some of their Canada wide plans, but really have no clue what to look for when it comes to plans for smart phones.

If I got a 250 island number... Would it be roaming/long distance for me to call/text people when I'm using the phone in Vancouver?