What it is: 4G Wireless Service
Who makes it: Sprint, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile
What it costs: Starting at $24.99 per month

Why we like it: Wireless carriers spar about who will have the fastest next-generation service, and even whether any particular service really should be called 4G. Still, consumers are poised to win from the Sprint, Verizon and T-Mobile networks that were upgraded this year to handle fast data connections on smartphones, tablet computers and other mobile devices. No more congestion hassles? We're keeping our fingers crossed. (Pictured: the Sprint HTC EVO 4G.)