It depends on how you will be using the phone. Make sure to do research on data costs if you use your phone to access the internet. This alone may determine if a prepaid phone/plan fits you best. Prepaid phones offer great flexibility since there is no contract involved; this option of not having a contract attracts many to more flexible prepaid service. These phones are excellent for parents who are shopping for phones for their teens, because there's no need to worry about excessive overcharges to an account considering that minutes are purchased in bulk ahead of time.

Maybe. You will want to check with the service provider of the prepaid plan you are considering to make sure that you can use your current phone. Please keep in mind that if you are unable to use your current phone the new provider may be able to offer you a comparable phone at little cost. Sometimes, it is a good idea to call the service provider that you are intending to switch to and ask to speak to a "porting agent" for confirmation that you may use your current phone on the new prepaid service. The prepaid phone of the same manufacturer and model will have identical features and capability of the phone offered as part of a contract plan. It is important to research your new plan. You will need to make sure that the plan will support the features that you want to use (especially where data/internet is concerned).