I haven't used Consumer Cellular but looked at it briefly. A few comments:
1. Do you pay separately there for talk and then pay again separately for data? If so, you need to compare closely the total cost there to the total cost at Verizon. With Verizon you basically buy a data plan and get unlimited talk. If Consumer Cellular has you subscribe to both a talk plan and a data plan make sure how the combined cost compares.
2. Consumer Cellular is on the AT&T network. Make sure that is a network with good coverage in your area. Where I live, for example, the only carrier network that gets decent coverage is Verizon. I can't sign up for something on AT&T because it gets lousy coverage at my house.
3. Remember that for a smartphone, the concept is that the phone is a little computer. The apps you use on it and internet usage and so on is way more important than the talking on the phone. What this means is that the choice of phone including iPhone v. Android really turns a lot on you want to do on the phone and what apps you want to use. A couple of years ago, for example, I decided to switch from my iPhone to an Android phone which was much cheaper. I found out that I hated it. Many of the apps I liked to use were iPhone only and, overall, thinking of a smartphone as a small computer, I liked the iPhone much better. So, I switched back to the iPhone. Note, I am not saying an iPhone is right for you. It depends on what you will do with your smartphone. If you haven't had one before, I would suggest doing some real research on the differences between iPhones and Android phones to try to determine which one you like better. And, of course, check them out carefully in the store.