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You are here: Home / Life / Moto X, my new Republic Wireless Phone

Moto X, my new Republic Wireless Phone

by jlcollinsnh 64 Comments

moto s

Moto X, my new phone

Long-term readers might recall my original review of Republic Wireless and their dreadful Defy XT phone last October. In short, I said great company to deal with, but wait until they make the Moto X phone available before you sign up. Having dealt with the Defy XT since then, that was excellent advice.

The good, no make that great, news is the Moto X has been on the market for a while now and I just got mine a couple of weeks ago. It is light-years better and a piece of technology that actually has made my life better and cheaper.

Better because the Moto X is far more user-friendly and cheaper because now I can switch between plans. With the new Moto X phone they are now offering four different plans. Here they are, as described by RW and cribbed directly from their website:

$5 Wi-Fi only plan
This is the most powerful tool in your arsenal of options. Why? You can drop your smart phone bill —at will— to $5. If you’re interested in getting serious about cutting costs, you can use this tool to best leverage the Wi-Fi in your life to reduce your phone bill. It’s also the ultimate plan for home base stickers and kids who don’t need a cellular plan. It’s fully unlimited data, talk and text —on Wi-Fi only.

 $10 Wi-Fi + Cell Talk & Text
One of our members, 10thdoctor said :  “I use WiFi for everything, except when I’m traveling and for voice at my school.” Yep, this is the perfect plan for that. Our members are around Wi-Fi about 90% of the time. During that 10% of the time where you’re away from Wi-Fi, this plan gives you cellular backup for communicating when you need to. This plan both cuts costs and accommodates what’s quickly becoming the norm: a day filled with Wi-Fi.

$25 Wi-Fi + Cell (3G) Talk, Text & Data
Lots of people are on 3G plans today and are paying upwards of $100 a month on their smart phone bills. That’s nuts. This plan is here for you during the times when you need the backup of cell data. For folks who want to surf Facebook and check email in the car (as a passenger!) or who travel regularly for work, this option lets them enjoy all the benefits of Wi-Fi with the luxury of 3G cellular data. You may find you only want this cellular back up part of the month —no problem! Switching during the month to the $5 or $10 plan is easy, and is a great way to keep more money in your wallet.

 $40 Wi-Fi + Cell (4G) Talk, Text & Data
We heard you tell us that you wanted a super fast option, so we added this arrow to your quiver. This plan is here for you when you’ve got a road warrior kind of month, and you’ve got a serious need for speed. Have to get work done on a long train ride? And need to work fast? This is your guy. Just like the other plans, it’s just a few clicks away.

Will I be able to switch between plans?
Yes! When you purchase a new Moto X phone, you’ll be able to choose whatever plan you like—and you can also switch plans up to twice per month as your needs change. For example, if you know you’ll be taking a vacation and might require more cell data one week, you can switch to a cell data plan right from your phone and then switch back to a Wi-Fi “friendlier” plan once you return home.

That ability to switch as your needs dictate has been pretty sweet for me. Mostly the $10 Plan serves my needs just fine, and that’s half the cost of the $20 per month I was paying with the Defy XT. When I travel domestically, I’ll bump up to the $25 plan so I can pick up the internet on the road. For my international trips I’ll drop down to the $5 Wi-Fi only plan since that’s all that works overseas anyway.

My wife picked up the new and less expensive Moto G phone and she likes it just fine. In fact, I’m hard pressed to tell the difference, although I’m told the X takes better pictures. But then our needs are modest.

So now, unlike my review last Fall,  I can recommend both Republic and their phones without reservation. If you’d like to give it a try yourself, just click on the ad below. By way of full disclosure if you sign up, this blog will earn a commission.

Since the Deft XT is my only other smart phone experience, I also asked my more tech-savvy pal Lito what he thinks of his new Moto X. You might recall Lito from the cool guest post he wrote: Cafe No Se. Here are his comments:

    • Big screen
    • Great graphics
    • Quite fast with in-phone processing (not including surfing the web)
    • Surfing is still quite good for $25/mo but it’s no I-Phone and depends on service
    • Surfing on wi-fi is pretty damn fast
    • The phone has a really cool operating system. It walks you through tons of features that it has. It really personalizes with you, and helps you get there. This was helpful since I haven’t used fancy technology in a long time (Lito has spent the last few years in Guatemala, where I met him) and feel like I missed the gap. I think this would be spectacular for an older audience that is intimidated by technology.
  • I love the company. I’ve had only the fastest/friendliest/best service. It feels so much more personal than any other company I’ve had before.
  • Call quality isn’t amazing, but it’s pretty good.
  • The speakers are really, really good for listening to music. Super loud, clear, and with a great range. This phone is nice if you want mobile music.
  • I really like the swipe texting. It’s a lot more intuitive than you’d think. It’s almost always spot on. Truly incredible.
  • 8GB seems like plenty of room for photos and a little music and some games.
  • I like how google links up lots of my things together without me paying attention. For example it gave me an update on my flight status even though all it must have had for info was an email somewhere. I programmed nothing as a reminder.
  • Even though the only change I made was upgrade from $10 to $25 I love the feeling that there’s no contract. You already know that, though.
  • Short battery life, but charges fast, too. Dead to 100% in about an hour and a half. (Battery life has been fine for me, but then I’m coming from the Defy XT where it was a real issue.)
  • It sounds weird, but I don’t like that when I set it down on the counter or whatever that the screen almost always auto rotates to widescreen. I realize I can set it to lock, but I like the rotate option. I think it’s just too sensitive. (Ha! I had never noticed this, but yep it does. Not an issue for me.)
  • The phone screen is confusing and I often call people accidentally just by holding the phone. If part of my hand wraps around the screen I touch a contact and it dials. I really don’t like that. It’s annoying.
  • The “Ok, Google NOW” touchless control is a little disappointing. I thought I was going to be able to have a sort of dialogue with the phone by giving it direct commands like “search my email for bla bla bla” but the majority of things I want to accomplish just end up as a search in a google bar.
  • Sometimes I feel like the phone is really hot in my pocket and I think  it’s plotting to take over the world or something. It’s obviously running programs or something and I know it’s burning battery. This may be a factor of its “always on” mode. At any time if you say “Ok, Google now” it’ll respond. That must cost a lot of battery. These things can be turned off, though.

If you have experience with Republic and any of their phones, please share your thoughts in the comments. Thanks!

Related

Important Resources

  • Talent Stacker is a resource that I learned about through my work with Jonathan and Brad at ChooseFI, and first heard about Salesforce as a career option in an episode where we featured Bradley Rice on the Podcast. In that episode, Bradley shared how he reached FI quickly thanks to his huge paychecks and discipline in keeping his expenses low. Jonathan teamed up with Bradley to build Talent Stacker, and they have helped more than 1,000 students from all walks of life complete the program and land jobs like clockwork, earning double or even triple their old salaries using a Salesforce certification to break into a no-code tech career.
  • Credit Cards are like chain saws. Incredibly useful. Incredibly dangerous. Resolve to pay in full each month and never carry a balance. Do that and they can be great tools. Here are some of the very best for travel hacking, cash back and small business rewards.
  • Personal Capital is a free tool to manage and evaluate your investments. With great visuals you can track your net worth, asset allocation, and portfolio performance, including costs. At a glance you'll see what's working and what you might want to change. Here's my full review.
  • Betterment is my recommendation for hands-off investors who prefer a DIFM (Do It For Me) approach. It is also a great tool for reaching short-term savings goals. Here is my Betterment Review
  • NewRetirement offers cool tools to help guide you in answering the question: Do I have enough money to retire? And getting started is free. Sign up and you will be offered two paths into their retirement planner. I was also on their podcast and you can check that out here:Video version, Podcast version.
  • Tuft & Needle (T&N) helps me sleep at night. They are a very cool company with a great product. Here’s my review of what we are currently sleeping on: Our Walnut Frame and Mint Mattress.
  • Vanguard.com

Filed Under: Life, Stuff I recommend

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Comments

  1. G-dog says

    July 2, 2014 at 8:11 pm

    What are you thoughts about their coverage? I looked at the map and it didn’t look like their coverage was very good (esp in the Midwest). Is that not relevant (roaming charges, etc.)?

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      July 2, 2014 at 11:23 pm

      Hi G-dog…

      I remember that being a question last year. Personally, it has never been an issue in my travels or here in NH. Later this month I’ll be in the midwest (WI & MI). If I have a problem I’ll post it here.

      I can tell you there are never any roaming charges. That’s one of the things I like best about Republic. Once you select your plan, there is nothing you can do that will add cost to it. No sneaky charges.

      Meanwhile, maybe some other readers can share their coverage experiences?

      Reply
      • g-dog says

        July 3, 2014 at 7:36 am

        I like to hear that there are no roaming charges. I don’t make many phone calls. But I really like the map/direction function and internet access I get via iPhone & Verizon. I also like the texting/messaging function. Verizon sticks it to you, but they have great coverage! If I understand correctly, the $5 plan only lets you link in to existing Wi-fi (home, Starbucks, McD’s) – but honestly I am a luddite and don’t pay a lot of attention to the how & why it works….

        Reply
      • jlcollinsnh says

        July 3, 2014 at 11:26 am

        Ha!

        I’m a luddite like you, but from my understanding if you use RW $25 plan you get those same functions. The $5 plan is wi-fi only. But you can switch between them as your needs change.

        We also used to use Verizon and had no complains about their service. But is is damn expensive and it seems they always found ways to stick us with extra charges.

        Reply
    • Possum says

      July 18, 2014 at 12:32 pm

      I live in Central Ohio and have no issues with coverage. Last weekend I took it on a road trip through PA, NJ, NY, MA and back through the central/northern part of NY, PA & OH. I’m on the $25 plan and had absolutely no trouble with coverage. The phone performed flawlessly as my GPS for the trip.

      Loving this Moto X. My wife and I both have one and enjoy them.

      Reply
    • Ken LaVoie says

      September 11, 2014 at 11:47 am

      Mine is horrible. Even on Wi Fi alot of times…sitting right next to the router. I don’t have any RW or Sprint towers in the area, and so I think it pushes me over to Verizon towers which are mediocre at best in my area. I don’t get any reception on my road, or way to Waterville Maine. I am selling my phone and going back to US Cellular.

      Reply
      • Kiki says

        September 17, 2014 at 5:55 pm

        Hi. I have the same problem in my area. AT&T is the only coverage in the hills of Santa Barbara, CA. I don’t like att, but I kinda need a phone that works!! Just wondering how you sold your phone…was it a pain?
        Thanks!

        Reply
        • Ken LaVoie says

          September 17, 2014 at 6:46 pm

          I haven’t sold it yet. Check this out for serendipity. Day 1, I go get new Moto X for $50 from US Cellular w 2 year commitment. Day 2, my Moto X from RW stops recognizing ANY wifi. I submit support request, and I have a BRAND NEW UNTOUCHED one coming to replace it..so the one I sell will be literally still wrapped up! I will post my success. I think Amazon and or eBay are what most people are using, though Craigslist might work.

          Reply
  2. Mike says

    July 2, 2014 at 11:02 pm

    I’m in LA and I bought the phone for my son. So far (only 2 days) he’s only had good things to say about it.

    I played with it before I gave it to him, and though I have the Galaxy Note III, in some ways I liked the Moto X better. Also saw videos on Youtube of people liking Moto X better than their iPhone.

    I think the $5 plan would be more than adequate for me. I assume I could read my Kindle books at any time.

    I’ve heard this phone will be the #1 phone (Moto X) of 2014. What’s nice is it’s a Motorola phone which is owned by Google. And Google integrates itself nicely into the phone.

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      July 2, 2014 at 11:26 pm

      Thanks Mike!

      I guess I always assumed that while the X was good, the I-phone was better. Apple marketing at work, maybe. 😉 I’m impressed to hear it is even close.

      What service do you use with the Galaxy?

      Reply
      • Mike says

        July 3, 2014 at 12:37 am

        I have Verizon. And as far as I’m concerned, they are the gold standard. But the reality is, for the price, I just don’t need the gold standard anymore.

        Plus, though I think the Galaxy Note III is the best phone on the market, my only complaint is that it’s heavy.

        Perhaps a minor complaint, but with what’s happening with Smart Phone technology, it’s only going to get better as we move more to smart phones and away from home based computers.

        Reply
  3. Maverick says

    July 3, 2014 at 3:36 am

    My wife and I got the X on RWs $10 plan when it first came out (we came from a Verizon cell plan). No serious complaints, no hardware issues, only some minor feature operations I’m not fond of. Overall a solid smartphone that integrates well with my desktop PC and our daily lives. Works so well for us that we finally gave up the Verizon land-line (kept FiOS for internet).

    Truth be told…I wish you and others would stop writing such positive reviews for RW. As a Verizon shareholder through Vanguard mutual funds, I believe I financially gain more from folks who stay on the high priced plans (like Verizon’s). Ha, ha! 🙂

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      July 3, 2014 at 11:29 am

      Ha!

      I hadn’t thought about that!

      Hey everybody, forget this post and all others like it. Stick with Verizon!

      At least until RW goes public… 😉

      Reply
      • space says

        July 18, 2014 at 9:15 pm

        Well, RW’s parent isn’t public. Yet. ($150 million in revenue – it’s actually considered a large player in the VOIP space, though it serves mostly business customers.)

        Reply
  4. Ken LaVoie says

    July 3, 2014 at 6:12 am

    I love the Motox and service in general, but hate it as a phone. I live in Central Maine and I don’t think I’ve had what I would call a “great” phone conversation yet. I use email and text now, not because they are available, but because I kind of have to unless I’m willing to have a brow furrowed, “can you say that one more time you’re breaking up” call. I’m going to hunker down and go through the troubleshooting but I’m pretty disappointed with call quality. Everything else is amazing! I run 3 businesses, and have about 1,000 contacts between clients, tenants, vendors and…yes, even family and friends! And having Google account, with contacts, then using GoSynch to constantly synch between google and outlook contacts is like having my office with me. Even with the medicore “phone” experience, it’s just “freaking awesome” as the younger crowd might say.

    Reply
    • Mike says

      July 3, 2014 at 9:32 am

      Ken, I don’t think that would be the phone for me if I lived in your area.

      I’m curious about 2 things: Does any cell phone service offer good/clear coverage where you live, and when you use your phone to talk via Wifi, is it then clear?

      Reply
      • Ken LaVoie says

        July 3, 2014 at 9:39 am

        US Cellular is excellent. Cloudy days are sometimes tough, and we have dead spots where we live, but all in all very good. With WiFi, it’s not great but acceptable. I have never actually encountered what I would consider “decent” wiFi except in my own house. I know I hear it’s out there, but I’ve travelled all over and never had a great wifi that I could actually get any work done on to speak of, so mostly “no” on wi fi. I’m also hard of hearing so what I consider lousy other’s might consider a little spotty but ok.

        Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      July 3, 2014 at 11:38 am

      This was my biggest complaint about the Defy XT: It was a terrible phone and geezer that I am I thought that was important. 🙂

      The Moto X is far better, but it does seem my old dumb flip phone was even better. As a phone.

      This is actually one of my complaints about tech in general. Most of the effort is focused on making these things do more stuff, rather than improving the reliability and performance of the core stuff.

      Seems a function of an industry run by fan-boys (and girls) to serve the whims of other fan-boys (and girls). That would be OK, except that these things have become so ubiquitous, the rest of us are stuck with them too.

      We, or at least I, would happily trade many of the extras functions for better performance and reliability of those few that matter.

      Reply
  5. Mark says

    July 3, 2014 at 8:24 am

    I recently switch from Verizon to Republic $135 per month to $50 per month ( my wife and I have separate plans). I love Republic so far. I have the Moto G great phone no problems at all, my wife has the Moto X and has had some problems with the phone freezing and rebooting. We are working on this with Republic . Their customer service is great! We live in Florida and get great coverage.Currently we are on a road trip to NY and had great coverage all the way up the east coast. I highly recommend Republic great service, great price and good phones!

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      July 3, 2014 at 11:43 am

      Good to hear Mark.

      Sounds like our experience, but in reverse with the phones.

      If Verizon wasn’t so expensive, we never would have bothered looking at other options.

      If I were running that company I would be worried about slowly becoming, as Mike above called it, the Gold Standard for only those who need and are willing to pay for it.

      Sounds like a shrinking strategy to me….

      Reply
  6. Mark H. says

    July 4, 2014 at 9:17 pm

    I’ve been with Republic Wireless since November 2013 – ordered my Moto X the first day it was available. My wife and I have been extremely satisfied with the phone, service, and price. Because it works off of Wi-Fi, I have better coverage in our home than with any other carrier. Highly recommended!!!

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      July 4, 2014 at 9:25 pm

      Thanks Mark…

      I’m curious. Do you have better results with phone calls over wi-fi or cell? With my old Defy XT the wi-fi calls were almost always so bad, I just automatically switched to cell. I don’t yet have enough experience with my X to know if it will be the same.

      Reply
      • Mark H. says

        July 4, 2014 at 11:58 pm

        I have good reception over each, although I prefer Wi-Fi. Republic Wireless has adjusted the sensitivity so that sometimes my calls will switch to cell from Wi-Fi even though my Wi-Fi signal is strong.

        I assume that your network speed, including upload speed will impact Wi-Fi calling. I’d think the faster the better. If your router allows, you may be able to prioritize VOIP so that other internet usage doesn’t slow down your voice transmissions.

        If you want to experiment, you can “force” the phone to stay on Wi-Fi by going into settings, turn on airplane mode, then go in to Wi-Fi and turn it on. This will prevent the phone from switching to cellular (but beware – if you lose Wi-Fi, you’ll drop your call). When I do this, I make sure to stay where I know I have a good signal.

        The Wi-Fi to cellular handoff is truly seamless. I have yet to drop a call.

        Our house never had good cellular reception, but Wi-Fi has solved that!

        Reply
  7. John says

    July 5, 2014 at 6:39 am

    I have been with republic wireless for 2 months now, with the Moto G. Previously I had been with T-Mobile for 13 years. Overall I am very happy I switched. The cell service is comparable in my area to what I had before, which is to say very acceptable. Calls made over Wi-Fi are good too. I will say that I do find the cell calls to be a bit more natural sounding than Wi-Fi. Note that Republic uses Sprint for cell service and you have access to all of sprint’s roaming partners when sprint service is not available, including Verizon, at no charge to you.

    The Moto G is a fine phone, but note that I am coming off an old Samsung flip phone. Its nice to have access to the internet and apps when away from home. It may sound silly, but I love to use the voice search of Google to locate places, then auto dial from the search (as you can see I am behind the times on phones).

    Currently I have the $10 plan and plan to switch plans just as you described for vacations and traveling internationally. Its a wonderful feature and you can change your plan up to twice a month and only be charged a prorated amount for usage of each tier in the month. Best of all you can change your plan from your phone without dealing with customer support to initiate it. Overall I am saving about $35 per month and loving it. I highly recommend it too.

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      July 5, 2014 at 9:21 am

      Thanks John…

      I just switched to the $25 plan for our upcoming trip, right from my phone as you say. Took about 90 seconds. But then, I’m slow. 🙂

      Reply
    • Mark H. says

      July 5, 2014 at 9:21 am

      John –

      Excellent point regarding having access to all of Sprint’s roaming partners. I had tried Virgin Mobile previously, which also uses Sprint’s network. However, VM does not have access to the roaming partners. That’s made a significant in coverage for me.

      Reply
  8. Roger says

    July 18, 2014 at 12:22 pm

    The Moto X is a very good phone, but the camera and the call quality should be better.
    I have had the phone for over 8 months now.

    Reply
  9. Larry Alex says

    July 18, 2014 at 6:39 pm

    Re: “…I often call people accidentally just by holding the phone.”, an App like Call Confirm is essential in my book for any Android phone. No more accidental and potentially embarrassing dialing of your contacts. Once you try it, you’ll never go without it. My wife appreciates the lack of “butt dialing” since I discovered this in 2012. BTW, there is nothing like this available for the iPhone… believe me I looked everywhere and the operating system prevents this sort of app, so be thankful you’re on an Android! BTW, I love Republic wireless. Sometimes I wish there was someone there to talk to 24/7, like when my daughter’s Moto X was stolen, but on the whole, I love the service, the Sprint network works fine for me, and the seamless handover from Wifi to cellular and the reverse is seamless!

    Reply
  10. AdidasTio says

    July 19, 2014 at 3:21 pm

    While some have had a good experience with this company, and equal number have had an absolutely atrocious experience with them. I’m part of the latter. At first, I was really into this company, I even went out and recruited friends and family to join – and most did. Wow! That came back to bite me in the arse as it became apparent that this company was in over its head when it came to customer service. After doing tons of research on this company, after I was a member – which I now regret, by the way – more and more reviews from customers started to show that this company had really bitten off more than it could chew. Complaints were rampant that RW was good at promising alot but simply could not deliver. Basic, run of the mill features that even the most basic feature phones and companies had, RW could not offer; and they STILL cannot.

    Long story short, if you are simply looking for a phone that works, without headaches and trouble and the constant need to fiddle with router settings and 3rd party add-ons, DO NOT get a phone, or service with Republic Wireless. Oh, did I mention that the phone is FOREVER locked to their service? You cannot take the phone with you to another carrier as they have severely modified the internal code on the phone. Plus, if you try to sell it, and someone buys it, the phone will STILL only work with RW’s VOIP servers. Customer service is a nightmare!! For those that are sick and tired of their “we hide behind our website so we don’t have to talk with you” service or their “customer service ticketing system” that lets requests go unanswered for days, I found phone numbers to this company to speak with live people. And yes, they work! I’ve used them. Here they are for those that need them.

    How to contact Republic Wireless:

    919-297-1010 – David Morken, CEO
    919-297-1100 – automated company directory. Dial by last name to reach somebody.

    Jim Mulcahy, manager, x3184
    Sean Rivers, customer service, x3577 (or 919-439-7335)

    Bradley Phillips, tech support
    Amie Ashworth Nelson, customer service
    Laura Schaffer, product manager
    Tim Jones, cell phone specialist
    Sarah Davis/Katrina Kempney, forums
    Doc Shufelt, operations
    Jon Schniepp, engineering

    Reply
    • Possum says

      July 19, 2014 at 8:42 pm

      I’m sorry to hear you had such a terrible experience, and I’m not trying to say your displeasure is invalid. But I feel your comments are incomplete.

      First of all, what phone did you have when you had this terrible experience? Everyone pretty much agrees the Defy XT was an underwhelming phone. If that’s what you had, I understand why your experience was so terrible. My wife and I are nothing less than delighted with your RW Moto X phones. This is my 3rd Android phone, so I have some basis for comparison. The Moto X is better in almost every way than my previous “flagship” Sprint phones.

      Second, pretty much every US carrier’s phones are bound to their service. Not sure why that should be a ding against RW. You can’t take a Sprint phone to Verizon, or vice versa.

      Again, not trying to discount your terrible experience. Just want prospective buyers to have an accurate picture.

      To those prospective buyers I say, do your research. It’s all over the internet. Also, remember that RW does have a 30 day return policy if you hate it.

      Reply
    • space says

      July 19, 2014 at 8:57 pm

      The router issues are already fairly well known, and if you look on the forums, there should be fixes to most of them. It usually has something to do with the router’s firmware not handling VoIP traffic quite right.

      As for phones being locked to Republic: blame that on Sprint’s policy, not on the RW modifications. If Sprint allowed it, you could safestrap a RW Moto X and use it on any other Sprint MVNO or Sprint itself (there are rumors that someone in China figured out how to generate bootloader unlock codes for any Moto X, including Republic, which means that in theory you could get a code, unlock the bootloader, and then flash a recovery and any ROM you wanted onto it). However, Sprint will not allow a phone obtained from any of their MVNOs onto any other Sprint MVNO or even Sprint itself. This is different from Verizon policy (which allows mainline phones onto MVNOs at anytime, boxed prepaid phones after 6 months of activation with Verizon prepaid). There are a couple of exceptions (most Sprint MVNOs can’t filter out old Qwest Wireless phones, and some can’t filter out old Platinumtel Sprint phones), but this holds for the majority of phones.

      Reply
  11. oldgoat says

    July 20, 2014 at 5:14 am

    I’m a tech buff and my biggest hang up with Republic Wireless is one simple little niggling thing, they aren’t a GSM compatible service. I have a phone which is well known in the techblogosphere as being impossible to get your hands on. I was lucky, very lucky, to have had it for about 3 months now. It’s GSM compatible ( so no Sprint/Verizon service only T-mobile and ATT or an MVNO there of which is what I use) if Republic was GSM compatible I’d switch in a heartbeat. As it stands at the moment it’s honestly not worth the downgrade in hardware from my point of view, seeing as they have limited selections at the moment in their phones. Beyond that Republic looks like a steal to me.
    One correction to the conversation earlier I want to add.
    Mike earlier stated that Motorola was owned by Google. This is no longer true. Lenovo bought Motorola earlier this year.

    Reply
    • space says

      July 20, 2014 at 3:46 pm

      Yep, that is actually one of the issues…. Sadly, the US CDMA carriers never went with R-UIMs (I’ve heard some Verizon LTE phones support this, though).

      Reply
  12. wil freeman says

    July 20, 2014 at 7:53 am

    All is good except for the backup to Sprint…spotty coverage in the western states, unless on the interstate, other wise a great contract free phone service. If you need to make a call and you are not in range of cell tower for Sprint, just use your Verizon no-contact phone. However, then you have to have 2 phones with you when traveling.

    Reply
  13. Molon Labe says

    July 27, 2014 at 8:37 am

    My son, until recently a diehard Apple fan switched to RW and bought the Moto G. We live in the Midwest and so far no issues with coverage or support and he even likes the phone.

    Result!

    ML

    Reply
  14. Zhou says

    September 11, 2014 at 4:16 am

    RW service is above OK in Salt Lake City. I moved.from Verizon dumb phone service which charged me $45 per month for very limited service. They charged me $90 for leaving even though they could not show me any contract. Verizon charged me repeatedly, even though I paid the $90. It gave this to a collection ccompany

    Reply
  15. Zhou says

    September 11, 2014 at 4:20 am

    which called all the time. Verizon is horrible in comparison to some of the minor inconvenience that I had with RW.

    I used motif internationally using GSM MIFI. I wish that Motor X could have controlled background data use better.

    Reply
  16. space says

    September 11, 2014 at 11:16 am

    RW rules change regarding roaming data: https://community.republicwireless.com/blogs/republic/2014/09/10/an-update-to-our-data-roaming-policy.

    While I understand their point, this kinda cripples the plan to a certain extent.

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      September 12, 2014 at 2:15 pm

      Thanks Space…

      interesting article that also provides insight into how RW thinks and how they provide the service they do at the price points they offer.

      Reply
  17. CC says

    April 13, 2015 at 2:43 pm

    I’ve been reading your Stock Series any chance I get. At the moment, I’m not currently working and contributing to a 401k but have two from previous employers. I have changed my funds to start indexing, and am looking into rolling them into Vanguard soon.

    I am now trying to help someone in the family out of debt. The hardest part will be getting them to change their way of thinking – lifestyle, discipline. I found Part XXVIII: Debt – The Unacceptable Burden, and am going to work with them to climb out of debt. This article is going to be very helpful. Thank you from us both.

    So after reading your articles I stumbled upon this one. It does not surprise me at all you are saving money with Republic Wireless! I’ve been using the Moto G on the $10/mo plan since January 2015 and love the savings. Having WiFi calling is really important to me as well as there is terrible service at home. I gave up with the major carriers years ago for savings, freedom to switch phones or plans at anytime, etc. I was previously paying $25/mo with Virgin, then it jumped to $35. Holy crap my wife is spending $85 for an iPhone on Sprint (no wifi calls, dropped calls at home, slow data, etc). That has to stop! Unwilling to give up the iPhone, we are going to do TMobile prepaid with wifi calling for $40/mo when her contract is up.

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      April 14, 2015 at 9:50 pm

      Hi CC…

      Thanks for checking in.

      Our RW phones and plans are working well for us. Mostly we are on the $10 a month plan as well, but I love being able to jump up to the $25 plan while on road trips.

      And the wifi feature means I can call the US from anywhere in the world for free when I have a connection. Pretty slick! 🙂

      Reply
  18. Karen says

    October 13, 2015 at 3:03 pm

    Do you know if data can be blocked? We have AT&T. Our bill is exactly 69.78 every month for 2 phones. We have unlimited talk and text with data blocked (ours are basic phones) We do not need wifi or internet and we prefer blocked data so people cannot send us pictures.

    Does republic wireless have a plan/phone that you know of that can block it (at least pic messages)? We would love to switch to an even cheaper plan, plus right now were not in a contract. We would really need unlimited talk/text though, as our phones are both personal and business use. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Mark H. says

      October 13, 2015 at 10:17 pm

      Karen –

      You can select a plan that offers no cellular data and includes unlimited calling and texting. Currently that plan would cost $10/month plus any taxes and fees. Of course you also have to purchase a phone from Republic Wireless.

      If you do not use Wi-Fi, you would not have any data access at all (cellular or Wi-Fi). That should allow only calling and texting. From what I can gather, multimedia messaging (MMS) photos does require some type of data connection.

      To answer your question about blocking photos from the phone itself, I don’t know. But cut off all data connection and I think you would achieve the same result.

      Mark

      Reply
  19. Selena says

    July 1, 2016 at 11:54 am

    Hello, I am glad I found your blog through ThePowerofThrift article. The reason I am glad is because you are a solid person with sound information to share. Your blog brings me hope! Since you wrote about your phone awhile ago, I would like to know if you are still happy with your phone. Is it the same one you bought in 2014? And how do you get internet services? Thank you for responding!

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      July 1, 2016 at 1:16 pm

      Thanks, Selena!

      Wow, has it been two years already? I guess so.

      Yep, I’m still using my Moto X, as are my wife and daughter and they are all humming along just fine. Yep, still happy with them and with Republic.

      It still amazes me than we can talk to her on the other side of the planet (SE Asia) for free as long as she has an internet connection.

      As for internet, we use Comcast, but only because we are stuck with them.

      Reply
    • space says

      July 1, 2016 at 3:04 pm

      I’m just going to note that Republic has changed significantly since then, though – the 1.0 plans with unlimited data are no longer available (as far as I’m aware – while you can keep your old plan if you already have one, you can’t sign up for one at this time). On the other hand, they will be getting GSM phones soon (still no BYOD with GSM, though, possibly due to custom versions of Android that they use)

      Reply
  20. Shawn says

    August 16, 2016 at 9:51 am

    I use total wireless. I and my wife pay $60 per month for 6gb of LTE data (throttled 5mbps), unlimited talk and text on Verizon Network. 5 mbps is adequate for websurfing, facebook, etc… When we travel overseas, my wife will use Project Fi and I will probably use RW? I don’t know if my iphone will work on RW. She has nexus 6p so it will work on Project Fi..

    Anyway, always love your postings. Thanks!!

    Reply
  21. Blake says

    October 13, 2016 at 9:03 pm

    I’m sick of taking it in the backside every month when my Verizon bill comes in. Id like to go over to RW but hesitant about the network quality. I live outside of Boston during the work week and stay at my lake house on Newfound lake(Bristol NH) on weekends. Ever travel around those areas?

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      October 14, 2016 at 1:17 am

      Sorry Blake….

      While I have been in and around Bristol, I have no idea of the RW network quality there.

      Most of the time, riding my motorbike around NH, my RW phone has worked fine. But there have been dead spots. Unfortunately, I never paid much attention to exactly where they are.

      Reply
  22. Hmm says

    March 21, 2017 at 5:08 pm

    While I like your financial advice… this one just seems… off. Granted, I am a tech guy so I have a bit more background on stuff like this. First thing that jumps out at me is $5/mo for wi-fi only… WTF are you paying 5/mo for? Wi-Fi doesn’t cost anything (from the phone user point, obviously you’re paying your ISP or using free wi-fi in public). You can use things like Google Voice for free calls over Wi-Fi (I use it all over the world).

    Ting is the US carrier I always recommend, their plans are flexible. They charge 6/mo for the plan, and then text, data, voice separately. They also automatically move you up or down a tier (in each category, separately) based off your usage that month.

    If you’re truly going wi-fi only, then just buy a cheap phone (android one being the easiest) without a plan at all. Use google voice, which gives you a US number with text and voice available over wi-fi. There’s a few other services that offer similar things, but GV is the easiest to use and setup IMO.

    Reply
    • RPM says

      February 28, 2019 at 4:47 pm

      I agree, everyone should have a Google Voice account (or an alternative SIP if you hate Google).

      1) Its FREE to have (new number, $5 one-time to port existing).
      2) Its FREE to use when receiving any call, or dialing US/Canada numbers.
      3) It has awesome voice-mail with transcribed messages.
      4) I can use it with ANY phone, computer, tablet after a 30-second setup (or just by going to your GMail in any WebBrowser).
      5) With a $25 Obi device, I can use it as my land-line too with any normal home phone.
      6) I am free to answer a call on any of those devices as they all ring at the same time (any gmail window, my land-line, any device with the app installed and logged in) and transfer the call between devices.
      7) I can customize voicemail greetings for specific callers, block numbers, ring devices to find them, and have logs of everything.

      If you need true cell-service in a place without internet, there are much better MVNOs then Republic Wireless (Ting is one, TPO is another, pay-as-you-go from TMO or ATT are others).

      Reply
      • Nice joy says

        March 1, 2019 at 1:00 pm

        I switch out of Republic. My wife want to keep Verizon. So I made her plan prepaid $35 and added 2 more line for myself and my son for $25 each . We all have 3 go data and all it cost. $85 plus tax. Post paid connection has too many hidden fees. Also you you will get $150 for each line you bring over ( when you use your old phone)

        Reply
  23. sindy says

    November 8, 2017 at 6:18 pm

    Thanks for this post Jim.While Verizon has excellent coverage , i do not want to pay such exuberant prices. I have been looking at republic too. MMM recommends it as well. How do you find the republic wireless coverage when you travel outside of your city and their customer care in general. Thanks for an excellent post

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      November 8, 2017 at 6:23 pm

      Personally, I’ve never had a problem with coverage in my travels, but that is just a sample of one.

      We still use and like RW.

      That said, my wife recently upgraded to a Moto X Pure and that phone has been a bit of a disaster. In fact, tech support gave up and had her return the first one for a replacement but not before endless attempts to make it work properly.

      Again, sample of one. But I’d avoid that model.

      Reply
      • sindy says

        November 9, 2017 at 4:22 pm

        I still have Moto X and i am going to stick with it for a little while. But thanks for sharing your personal experience.

        Reply
  24. MK says

    February 8, 2019 at 10:32 pm

    Wow! I work at Republic! Have been there since 2014. So cool you’re a member – your advice has been so helpful to me.

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      February 9, 2019 at 12:35 am

      Hi MK…

      Yeah, I’m a member and a fan.

      Can I turn to you if I need “inside” help? 🙂

      Reply
      • MK says

        February 9, 2019 at 12:53 pm

        Of course! What is the best way to send you my email? Would rather it not be publicly available 🙂

        Reply
        • jlcollinsnh says

          February 9, 2019 at 2:59 pm

          PM sent

          Reply
  25. BrianH says

    May 25, 2019 at 8:59 am

    Found your website after reading ‘Playing with FIRE’ by Scott Rieckens. Regarding Republic Wireless, we’ve been using RW since December of 2013 and I am still using my MotoX today. Big FAN. Great for international travel !

    BTW – I very much enjoyed Scott Rieckens book. Definitely would recommend !

    Reply
  26. Michael says

    July 31, 2019 at 12:52 pm

    J.L.,

    I just purchased “The Simple Path to Wealth” (Kindle version) and I thank you for your important and informative work.

    I know this is an older post and I am curious as to if you are still using the Moto X or if you have upgraded? I live in the Midwest and I am thinking about switching to Republic Wireless from AT&T (good service but, of course, more expensive) and going with the Motorola moto g⁷

    Thanks again for all you do!

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      July 31, 2019 at 4:12 pm

      Thanks for your comment!

      Mr. Collins is currently traveling and unable to respond just now.

      We find for most questions, he has already covered the topic. Using the Search button might very well provide your answer.

      Reply

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      • Betterment: a simpler path to wealth
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      • Republic Wireless and my $19 per month phone plan
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      • Stocks -- Part VIII-b: Should you avoid your company's 401k?
      • Shilpan's Seven Habits to Live More with Less
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      • My path for my kid -- the first 10 years
    • ► May (5)
      • Why your house is a terrible investment
      • Stocks — Part XVIII: Investing in a raging bull
      • Dining with the Ghosts of Sarah Bernhardt and Alfons Mucha
      • How we finally got the house sold
      • Stocks — Part XVII: What if you can't buy VTSAX? Or even Vanguard?
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      • Greetings from Prague & a computer question
      • Swimming with Tigers, a 2nd chance on the Chautauqua, a financial article gets it wrong and I'm off to Prague
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      • Homeless, and a bit on the strategy of dollar cost averaging
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      • Wild Turkeys, Motorcycles, Dining Room Sets & Greed
      • Roots v. Wings: considering home ownership
      • How about that stock market?!
      • The Blog has New Clothes
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      • Meet Mr. Money Mustache, JD Roth, Cheryl Reed & me for a Chautauqua in Ecuador
      • High School Poetry, Carnival, cool ads and random pictures that caught my eye
      • Consignment Shops: Best business model ever?
      • Cafes
      • Stocks -- Part XVI: Index Funds are really just for lazy people, right?
    • ► January (5)
      • Social Security: How secure and when to take it
      • Fighting giraffes, surreal landscapes, dancing with unicorns and restoring a Vanagon
      • My plan for 2013
      • VITA, income taxes and the IRS
      • How to be a stock market guru and get on MSNBC
  • ► 2012 (53)
    • ► December (6)
      • See you next year....until then: The Origin of Life, Life on Other Worlds, Mechanical Graveyards, Great Art, Alternative Lifestyles and Finding Freedom
      • Stocks -- Part XV: Target Retirement Funds, the simplest path to wealth of all
      • Stocks -- Part XIV: Deflation, the ugly escort of Depressions.
      • Stocks Part XIV: Deflation, the ugly escort of Depressions.
      • Stocks -- Part XIII: The 4% rule, withdrawal rates and how much can I spend anyway?
      • How I learned to stop worrying about the Fiscal Cliff and you can too.
    • ► November (2)
      • Rent v. owning: A couple of case studies in Ecuador
      • So, what does a month in Ecuador cost anyway?
    • ► October (4)
      • See you in December....
      • Meet me in Ecuador?
      • The Podcast: You can hear me now.
      • Stocks -- Part XII: Bonds
    • ► September (6)
      • Stocks -- Part XI: International Funds
      • The Smoother Path to Wealth
      • Case Study #I: Putting the Simple Path to Wealth into Action
      • Tales of Bolivia: Calle de las Brujas
      • Stocks -- Part X: What if Vanguard gets Nuked?
      • Travels in South America: It was the best of times....
    • ► August (1)
      • Home again
    • ► June (4)
      • Yellow Fever, closing up shop for the summer and heading to Peru y Bolivia
      • I could not have said it better myself...
      • Stocks -- Part IX: Why I don't like investment advisors
      • Happy Birthday, jlcollinsnh; and thanks for the gift Mr. MM!
    • ► May (6)
      • Stocks -- Part VIII: The 401K, 403b, TSP, IRA & Roth Buckets
      • Mr. Money Mustache
      • The College Conundrum
      • Stocks -- Part VII: Can everyone really retire a millionaire?
      • Stocks -- Part VI: Portfolio ideas to build and keep your wealth
      • Stocks -- Part V: Keeping it simple, considerations and tools
    • ► April (6)
      • Stocks -- Part IV: The Big Ugly Event, Deflation and a bit on Inflation
      • Stocks -- Part III: Most people lose money in the market.
      • Stocks -- Part II: The Market Always Goes Up
      • Stocks -- Part 1: There's a major market crash coming!!!! and Dr. Lo can't save you.
      • You can eat my Vindaloo, mega lottery, Blondie, Noa, Israel Kamakawiwo 'Ole, art, film and a ride on the Space Shuttle
      • Where in the world are you?
    • ► March (7)
      • How I lost money in real estate before it was fashionable, Part V: Sold! and the taxman cometh.
      • How I lost money in real estate before it was fashionable, Part IV: I become a Landlord.
      • How I lost money in real estate before it was fashionable, Part III: The Battle is Joined.
      • How I lost money in real estate before it was fashionable, Part II: The Limits of the Law.
      • How I lost money in real estate before it was fashionable, Part I: Impossibly Naive.
      • You, too, can be conned
      • Armageddon and the value of practical skills
    • ► February (6)
      • Rent v. Owning Your Home, opportunity cost and running some numbers
      • The Casanova Kid, a Shit Knife, a Good Book, Having No Regrets, Dark Matter and a bit of Magic
      • What Poker, Basketball and Mike Whitaker taught me about Luck
      • How to Give like a Billionaire
      • Go ahead, make my day
      • Muk Finds Success in Tahiti
    • ► January (5)
      • Travels with "Esperando un Camino"
      • Beanie Babies, Naked Barbie, American Pickers and Old Coots
      • Selling the House and Adventures in Staging
      • The bashing of Index Funds, Jack Bogle and a Jedi dog trick
      • Magic Beans
  • ► 2011 (22)
    • ► December (1)
      • Dividend Growth Investing
    • ► November (2)
      • The Mummy's head, Particle Physics and "Knocking on Heaven's Door"
      • "It's Better in the Wind" or why I ride a motorcycle
    • ► October (1)
      • Lazy Days and School Days
    • ► July (2)
      • The road to Zanzibar sometimes goes thru Ecuador...
      • Johnny wins the lotto and heads to Paris
    • ► June (16)
      • Chainsaws, Elm Trees and paying for College
      • Stuff I’ve failed at: the early years
      • Snatching Victory from the Jaws of Defeat
      • The. Worst. Used. Car. Ever.
      • Top Ten reasons your future is so bright it hurts my eyes to look at it
      • The Most Dangerous Words Your Customer Can Say
      • How not to drown in The Sea of Assholes
      • What we own and why we own it
      • The Ten Sales Commandments
      • My ever so formal and oh so dry CV
      • How I failed my daughter and a simple path to wealth
      • The Myth of Motivation
      • Why you need F-you money
      • My short attention span
      • Why I can’t pick winning stocks, and you can’t either
      • The Monk and the Minister

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