When I'm asked about what smartphone, or tablet, or computer, I recommend, I usually ask, what are your needs? Personally, I have apple, mostly because I used to work frontline support for them, and their products are usually easy to troubleshoot. It's very seldom that I get stumped when it comes to an Apple product.
Android devices, I can't help with, as I never owned one.
Windows PC's, as well as Windows embedded devices make me cringe. I detest having to touch the registry, as it's too easy to hose your computer, thereby causing a complete reinstall of the OS and all your applications.
As for monthly cost getting out of hand, have you considered an MVNO like Virgin or Ting? I'm looking at Ting rather closely right now, and I might drop Virgin for Ting once they get their issues straightened out with the iPhone 4 and 4s. With Ting, you can BYOD, as long as that device worked at one time on the Sprint Network. (Either Sprint, Virgin, Boost, or any other Sprint MVNO.). The rates are posted on Ting's website.