There are probably few public or private events these days where a cell phone doesn’t make an appearance.

And not just a cell phone: we’re talking about smartphones — those glossy shiny telephones-gone-wild and their ever-expanding ability to be the center of our personal and business lives.

You may not want one. You may still be happy with POTS — plain old telephone mobile service — but one of these days, pressure from your family or friends as well as the many services requiring a smartphone from bill-paying to home security or even unlocking your car may drive you to go get one.

So if you’re making the leap, what should you think about when you’re getting a smartphone?

First, choose a cellphone network even before you choose a phone. If your family and friends are all on one network, your choice will be easier because networks let you call them for free. That alone should give you a cheaper minutes plan. If you’ve underestimated your needs, you can always adjust your minutes next month.

Your smartphone will require you to have both a phone plan AND a data plan.

That’s just the way the phone game is played. Now you need to figure out how many minutes and data you need. We’ve already talked about how to keep the minutes plan down. As for data, unless you’re a constant gamer or hope-to-die live TV watcher, a 2gb and 4gb monthly plan should satisfy your needs. (I’m a power user—and I rarely go over 2gb.)

You may like this bargain: Along among the major carriers, T-Mobile offers unlimited free streaming for virtually every video and music channel—Netflix, Hulu, Pandora, Spotify and more—when you have any of its data plans. Some quarrel with T-Mobile’s signal quality, but it’s worth looking into if you’re a binge-watcher.

No matter which carrier you use, you should always try to find an unlocked WiFi signal instead of using your data plan. Why waste those data minutes when you can get the same Internet stuff on WiFi for free?

Finally, we get to the phones.

Regardless of all the marketing hype, no one phone or company is the “best.” It all depends on what works for you whether it’s the operating system, the right phone size, available features or the price. Virtually every phone these days offers good fast 4LTE phone reception, and they all offer roughly the same basic services and apps.

I like the Android-powered Galaxy Note 4. It’s one big 6-inch phone, and it offers me a near-tablet size screen, but its size can also drive me crazy especially in a front pants pocket. I also own an iPhone 5S (the small iPhone), but I prefer the Note 4.

My last suggestion: unless you’re a fashionista, look for refurbished models or the immediate last generation of the phone you want. You’ll usually save a bundle—and no one will ever know or care.

The Reporter’s new columnist Skip Ferderber is a technology writer and editor. A former Los Angeles Times staff writer, he has written locally for Alaska Airlines Magazine, GeekWire.com, Seattle Business Journal, Puget Sound Business Journal and Crosscut.com. Contact him at sferderber@gmail.com.