Republic Wireless Review (2014-2019)

one of our three trusty Republic Wireless Moto G smart phones
Republic Wireless
Rating:
5/5
 by
Steve
Last Updated: December 23, 2019
|
2021 Update: While I still think Republic Wireless
is a good company, I have now switched my entire family over to
Tello Mobile to save even more
money on our cellular phone service. Tello Mobile also offers great service
and Tello costs less, and Tello allows us to customize our plans to save
even more money. If you are looking for the best price I recommend you check
out Tello Mobile.
* * * * *
Review Summary: We've been using Republic Wireless for
over four years (since July 2014), and we love their service. We started
with three
Motorola Moto G (1st Gen) smart phones back in 2014. We are still using two
of our original Moto G phones (still going strong after 4 years), but
recently upgraded and replaced one of the Moto G phones with a newer Moto G4 phone on a newer My Choice
plan. Every month, we continue to save more money and rack up the savings. I highly recommend
Republic Wireless... for most people. I'm not sure if their service is
really right for
everyone, but if you enjoy saving money and getting great value, I've listed
the pros and cons of Republic Wireless below so you can decide if
Republic Wireless is right for you.
2019 Update: My wife, daughter, and son have now been using
Republic Wireless for five years! We started with three Moto G 1st
Generation phones, each with the basic unlimited talk and text plan.
Although the original Moto G phones kept working great, my family eventually
wanted to upgrade phones (and I like to keep my family happy), so we now
have a Moto G5S Plus, a Moto G6, and a Moto X4, all still on the basic
Republic Wireless talk and text plan. Our original Moto G phones were on
Republic's CDMA Sprint network, while our new Moto phones are on Republic's
GSM T-Mobile network. Both Sprint and T-Mobile provide excellent coverage
where we live in Southern California, and we also have excellent wifi
coverage at home, school, and work.
You might wonder why I'm not also on Republic Wireless. When my son became
old enough a few years ago to need a smartphone, I gave him my Republic
phone. I wasn't too crazy about adding a fourth monthly phone bill to our
family budget, so I decided to become our family's "guinea pig" and try a "free" phone service. Keeping the
service free (and working) can be more than a bit complicated. While I don't
mind the challenge of maintaining the "free" service for myself, I wouldn't
recommend it to most people. If you want simple, reasonably priced service,
Republic Wireless is the way to go. When it comes to my wife and kids, I
need something that is low maintenance, always works, and is reasonably
priced. That's why my family is still on Republic Wireless, and why I still
highly recommend them.
2019 Update #2 (September 24,2019): Republic Wireless continues to have
AMAZING customer service, and I find out Motorola also has great customer
service...
My son's Moto G6 phone stopped working for cellular calling and texts, but
he didn't notice right away because he is usually on wifi at home or at
school, and doesn't use the phone for talk and text very much. When he
finally noticed that he couldn't call on cellular service, he let me know
about the problem on a Friday night. I looked at his phone and figured out
it wasn't connecting to cellular service, even though my wife and my
daughter's phones were working just fine. I opened a help ticket with
Republic on Friday night at 9:58pm, and then went to bed. I was stunned when
I got up in the morning to see that Amy had responded to me at 10:27pm that
same night, and suggested a few things and also asked for some additional
information. I responded at 5:25am Saturday morning, and then Deborah
responded at 5:38am asking for a screenshot of the phone's IMEI number to
confirm the issue. I provided the screenshot at 5:50am and then Maria
responded at 6:17am letting me know that the problem was that the recent
Motorola security update had erased the IMEI and I would need to contact
Motorola to fix the issue. So Republic Wireless customer support responded
to my support ticket late Friday night and again early Saturday morning and
let me know what I needed to do to fix the problem. Over the past five
years, I've almost never needed to contact Republic Wireless customer
support, but when I have, they have been remarkable quick and efficient!
Now to finish the story... On Sunday I contacted Motorola support via chat
and explained that their security update had erased the phone's IMEI number
so it only said "0", instead of being the correct, unique 15 digit serial
number. Fortunately, I was able to get the phone's correct IMEI number from
our Republic Wireless account, which Motorola needed to confirm the phone
was under warranty. Motorola issued me a free FedEX overnight shipping
label, and I sent them the phone on Monday (after removing the sim card).
They received the phone on Tuesday, and then shipped back a like-new
replacement (they weren't able to repair the phone) on Wednesday. They sent
the replacement phone via FedEX Priority Overnight and we received it
Thursday morning. The entire process was free and easy, and we got a new
working replacement phone about as quickly as humanly possible. Of course,
the Motorola security update should never have erased the phone IMEI in the
first place (based on my internet research, it is an uncommon but not
unheard of problem). However, Motorola took responsibility and fixed the
problem quickly and for free. I will continue to highly recommend Motorola
phones, especially now that I have first hand experience of how well their
customer support works.
jump to (below) >
plans phones
coverage
pros
cons
conclusion
comments
CURRENT REPUBLIC WIRELESS DEALS
* click here for current Republic Wireless redemption codes, promo codes, and special
offers *
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BACKGROUND (OUR CELL PHONE HISTORY / EVOLUTION):
I got my first cell phone, an analog Nokia 5190 cell phone, in 1999 (last century!). I still have
it today, just in case the
Smithsonian may want it some day. I got my Nokia 5190 cell phone from Pacific Bell. Pacific
Bell later became Cingular Wireless. Then Cingular stopped supporting analog cell phones,
and I had to replace my old but still functional
and trusty Nokia 5190 analog phone with a new
Ericsson A2218Z digital cell phone, and got a second Ericsson A2218Z for my wife.
At this point you might correctly guess that we only change our cell phones
when we have to, and we aren't the types who always have to upgrade to the
latest and greatest (or fashionable) cell phone. Cingular Wireless was then
acquired
by AT&T, and thus we became customers of AT&T. One of the Ericsson phones died and my wife got a
new hip pink Moto RAZR
flip phone (for a fleeting moment, we felt cutting edge... but it didn't
last). Then our once reliable cell service at our house abruptly stopped working.
I spent hours and weeks on the phone with AT&T complaining that we didn't
have service at our house. AT&T insisted that their computer screen
showed we we had coverage at our house (but we didn't). They had us try
new SIM cards and a few other things (lots of resets if I remember right),
but through my own sleuthing, I eventually discovered that AT&T had deemed
the cell phone tower near our house that they had acquired from Cingular and
that was actually providing our signal as superfluous, and they had sold the
"unnecessary" tower to T-Mobile. Knowing we'd never have useable home cell
service with AT&T anymore, we left AT&T and
switched to T-Mobile. After switching to T-Mobile, we once again had cell service at our home,
but T-Mobile made us sign a new 2 year contract. Because of the new
contract, we purchased a
second silver Moto RAZR flip phone to go with the older Pink RAZR, and became a dual RAZR
flip phone family (even though
by then RAZRs weren't really hip any more - we tend to be several years behind
the times). We were reasonably happy with T-Mobile (though I thought it was
pretty expensive for what we were actually getting) until two years ago,
when our RAZRs stopped working reliably at our
house. Again, it took my own sleuthing to learn the actual problem... T-Mobile had upgraded several of the local towers to 3G/4G (by using
"some" of the "unused" 2G/Edge spectrum that our 2G-only RAZRs needed to
work - in reality T-Mobile ended 2G service at our house). I complained to T-Mobile that our RAZRs weren't working at our house
anymore, but T-Mobile insisted they should work (but they didn't). It
was AT&T redux deja vu... problem? What problem? We needed cell
phones that worked and didn't want
to spend a small fortune on new smart phones (and a new smart phone cell
plan and new 2 year T-mobile contract) so I got myself a Samsung T159 3G flip phone for $79, and a ZTE Aspect
"candy bar" 3G phone for $79 for my wife. We got our T-Mobile
voice-only cell service working at home again with the new 3G phones, but after
that experience, I was getting fed up with our $72 monthly T-Mobile bill for two
basic cell
phones, one being voice only, and the other being voice plus 300 texts/month,
with a 700 minute cap on the voice minutes and the 300 text cap. I felt we
were paying way too much for what we were getting, but I did what so many of
us do... I just kept griping about it but doing nothing...
OUR 12-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER NEEDS HER OWN CELL PHONE:
In the meantime, ever since fifth grade, our daughter has been asking for
a cell phone. We kept saying no, understanding that she really wanted
one, but to our mind, didn't really need one. I don't know how
many times I heard the phrase "but all my friends have a phone." I was
surprised that the vast majority of the students in her sixth grade class
had phones (almost all of them smart phones), but we still told our daughter
that elementary school children don't need a cell phone, and we weren't
going to get her one. Then last summer, when she was due to start 7th grade (junior
high) in the fall, we decided it was time for her to have phone. I wasn't crazy about
buying an expensive phone from T-Mobile and committing to a new two year
contact, plus a higher monthly bill. So I started looking for low-cost cell
phones and cell phone plans, and discovered Republic Wireless. I decided to
give Republic Wireless a try (they have a 30 day money back guarantee) and
so we got her
the Moto G and signed her up for their $10/month unlimited talk and text
plan. To make a long story a little shorter, she loved her new phone and plan,
and I loved the cost, so we got two Moto G for my wife and myself (plus two
more $10/month plans), and cancelled our T-Mobile service.
REPUBLIC WIRELESS - WHO THEY ARE & HOW THEY WORK:
Republic Wireless started in 2011. If you haven't heard of them, it's
probably because they're a fairly small company that doesn't do national
advertising like the Big Four: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint.
Instead, Republic provides amazing value and relies mainly on word-of-mouth advertising
from happy customers like me, a policy that seems to be working well as they
are growing by leaps and bounds. Although Republic Wireless is relatively
new, it is a subsidiary of Bandwidth, a company that has been around since
1999. The main idea behind Republic Wireless is to make smart phones and smart
phone cell service more affordable. To do this, Republic Wireless relies on
two technologies: hybrid calling and MVNO.
HYBRID CALLING:
Hybrid calling means using both wifi (wireless internet) and cellular
service for phone calls, texts, and internet access. Traditional cell
phones only work on cellular service. But many of us now have wifi at
home, at work, and many places we are during the day. Republic Wireless
phones work primarily on wifi, which is free, and is faster than cellular
for data, and use cellular service as a backup when wifi isn't available.
Yet as a customer, you don't have to worry. When you dial a number, if wifi
is available, the phone call goes over wifi, otherwise it goes over
cellular. More importantly, if you're talking on wifi and you leave the wifi
area, the call hands over to cellular, so you don't lose the call, and
similarly, if you go from cellular to wifi, the call switches back over
without dropping. Republic Wireless recently developed and introduced a new
technology they call "Bonded Calling" that combines and uses both the wifi
and cellular signal when both are available for even better call quality.
MVNO:
MVNO stands for Mobile Virtual Network Operator, and is a fancy way of
saying a company that resells cellular access from a real cellular provider.
In the United States, there are only four "real" cell phone service
providers (companies that actually have and maintain their own cell phone
towers): AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint. Virgin Mobile was the first MVNO here in the
US, and is
essentially a reseller of Sprint cell service. For a while, Sprint was only
US carrier that had MVNOs, but now all four carriers have MVNOs. Some of the
MVNOs that you may have heard of are Boost Mobile (uses and is a subsidiary
of Sprint), Cricket Wireless (uses and is a subsidiary of AT&T), FreedomPop
(uses Sprint), H2O Wireless (uses AT&T), MetroPCS (uses and is a subsidiary
of T-Mobile), Straight Talk (uses T-Mobile), and Ting (uses Sprint).
Republic Wireless started as an MVNO for Sprint (with voice/text roaming
on Verizon) but they now are also an MVNO for T-Mobile (with voice/text
roaming on AT&T). Unlike some other MVNO providers that can only
connect via cellular service, with Republic Wireless, your primary
connection is via wifi, but when wifi isn't available your connection
will be via cellular either on Sprint (with Verizon/text voice roaming) or
TMobile (with AT&T voice/text roaming) network depending on which network
their new Republic
Wireless Coverage Checker determines is the best for your
area.
PLANS - NEW REPUBLIC
WIRELESS 4.0 "MY CHOICE" PLANS
In December, 2017, Republic Wireless replaced their previous "3.0
Clear Choice" plans with new "4.0 My Choice" plans, which are a bit simpler,
and also cheaper if you need more cellular data. Unlimited talk & text is
still $15, but now cellular data is a flat $5/GB. You can pick a monthly plan with no data or
however much data you want, and now you can also purchase additional data
during the month for $5/GB if you ever need it. You can also still switch
to a plan with more or less or no data whenever you want, and/or just make a
one-time purchase of extra data whenever you need it.

$15 Unlimited Talk, Text, and WiFi Data <<< my favorite!
$20 Unlimited Talk, Text, and WiFi Data + 1GB of Cell Data
$25 Unlimited Talk, Text, and WiFi Data + 2GB of Cell Data
$30 Unlimited Talk, Text, and WiFi Data + 3GB of Cell Data
$35 Unlimited Talk, Text, and WiFi Data + 4GB of Cell Data
$40 Unlimited Talk, Text, and WiFi Data + 5GB of Cell Data
etc...
note: you can also purchase additional data if needed during the month for
$5/GB
All Republic Wireless plans include unlimited talk & text over wifi
and cellular. When you aren't on wifi, cellular talk and text is either provided
by T-Mobile (with voice & text roaming on AT&T), or by Sprint (with
voice & text roaming on Verizon). When you sign up, Republic Wireless checks
the cellular coverage for your zip code and determines which carrier service
will provide better service for your area. All of the plans also
include unlimited free data over wifi. If you want or need cellular data,
you can chose one of the plans with additional cellular data.
Our family has has three Republic Wireless Moto G smartphones with the unlimited talk, text, and wifi data, which is
the plan I recommend. If you need some cellular data, the $20 unlimited
talk, text, and wifi data + 1 GB of cell data is a great value. Remember
that all the data you use over wifi is free and unlimited.
PHONES -
a wide variety of new
Android smart phone options

Republic Wireless offers a variety of Android smart phones. All of the phones come with a Republic Wireless SIM card
installed, but are phone sold by Republic Wireless are "unlocked". Because their phones come
automatically unlocked and because Republic Wireless doesn't require a
contract, if you leave Republic
Wireless at any time in the future for any reason, you can take your phone
with you and use it with
any other cell providers (*depending on if the phone is GSM or CDMA or
both). I'm a huge Moto fan
based on our own experience with Moto phones. We had three original Moto G (1st generation) phones that have served us
well for four years. Although they were all still working, we've recently
upgraded all of them and now have a Moto G5S Plus, a Moto G6, and a Moto X4. As
you can tell, we are a "Moto family", and I recommend any of the
Moto E series phones (for people wanting a basic but good economy smart
phone) or any of the Moto G series (for people wanting the best
bang-for-your-buck midrange smart phone).
BRING YOUR OWN PHONE (B.Y.O.P.) [introduced in 2017]
You can purchase one of the phones above from Republic Wireless, or you can
"bring your own phone (b.y.o.p.)" as long as it is unlocked and GSM-capable,
and is one of their approved BYOP phones (as of October 2017, the Republic
Wireless approved BYOP phones include: from Motorola: Moto E4
(XT1768), Moto E4 Plus (XT1775), Moto G4 (XT1625), Moto G5 Plus (XT1687),
Moto Z (XT1650-03), Moto Z Play (XT1635-02), Moto G4 PLAY (XT1607), Moto G4
PLUS (XT1644), Moto G5S Plus (XT1806), Moto X Pure Edition (XT1575), and
Moto Z2 Play; from Samsung: Samsung Galaxy J3 (SM-J320A), Samsung Galaxy S6
(SM-G920T), Samsung Galaxy S7 (SM-G930U), Samsung Galaxy S8 (SM-G950U1),
Samsung Galaxy S8+ (SM-G955U1), Samsung Galaxy S7 edge (SM-G935U); from
Nexus: Nexus 5X by LG (LGH790), Nexus 6 by Motorola (XT1103), Nexus 6P by
Huawei (H1511); and from Google: Google Pixel (G-2PW4100), Google Pixel XL
(G-2PW2100), Google Pixel 2 (coming soon), and Google Pixel 2 XL (coming
soon).
I think it is easiest to just buy a phone from Republic Wireless, but it you
already have a phone that qualifies for their byop program or if you find a
better deal on one of the byop-approved phones, it is easy to bring your own
phone to Republic. You'll need to check your coverage (see below), make sure
your phone is an approved model, and then finally buy a
Republic Wireless sim card (free Republic
Wireless sim card shipping is via UPS Mail Innovations, otherwise you can
select UPS Ground or Next Day for an additional charge). After you
receive the sim card kit, install the sim and the Republic Wireless app on
your phone, and then sign up for the service plan you want.
Will your phone work on Republic Wireless?
learn more about the BYOP (Bring Your Own Phone) program
REPUBLIC WIRELESS COVERAGE (now
two provider options starting February 2017):
Republic Wireless now offers nationwide coverage from two major providers,
T-Mobile and Sprint. T-Mobile service requires a GSM-capable phone while
Sprint service requires a CDMA-capable phone (most new Republic Wireless
phones are both GSM and CDMA capable as you can see in the table above). Republic Wireless phones will activate
and work on one network
or the other, but not both. Phones with Sprint cellular service will also
have voice roaming for talk & text on Verizon. Phones with T-Mobile cellular
service will also have voice roaming for talk & text on AT&T. When you start
your order, you will be asked to enter your zip code in the Republic
Wireless Coverage Checker. The new coverage checker is actually pretty
cool. Based on the zip code you enter, the Republic Wireless coverage
checker uses a proprietary program to analyze other existing Republic
Wireless phones in that area and checks for call quality data, call
completion (or failure) rates, customer issues or complaints, and several
other factors including the theoretical carrier coverage maps, and the
program then determines which coverage (Sprint or TMobile) will work
better for you. The phone you purchase will have that service. Because there
are now two carriers available, Republic Wireless is using their existing
customer database to determine which coverage will be better for you in your
zip code, since they want to make sure you have the best coverage possible
(they want happy customers, not disappointed customers). Of equal
importance, if the
coverage checker determines that neither service will provide acceptable
coverage for your area, they will warn you about the coverage and will
recommend that you not buy a Republic Wireless phone. How many other
carriers would discourage you from joining their service? Republic Wireless
wants happy customers, and if they don't think think you will be happy with
your coverage, they'll let you know in advance!
Republic Wireless also has a 14 day money back guarantee. After you receive and
activate your phone, you have two weeks to make sure the phone and coverage
work well for you, otherwise you can return the phone for a full refund.
We've been using Sprint coverage here in Santa Barbara, California, for
several years, and it's
always been just fine. The T-Mobile coverage around here is good too from
what I'm told. Although Sprint and T-Mobile (and Verizon and AT&T) all
claim to have nationwide service, the truth is that there are some areas
where a particular carrier just doesn't have very good coverage. When you order
from Republic Wireless, they will use their new coverage checker program to
determine the best provider
for your area. Also keep in mind that Republic Wireless phones work on wifi,
so when you are on wifi, you will have great service regardless.
Check your local Republic Wireless cellular service coverage:
click here for the new Republic Wireless coverage checker
THE REPUBLIC WIRELESS SWEET SPOT:
In my opinion, for many people, the way to go with Republic Wireless is the
Moto E "economy" series (i.e. the Moto E6) or the "mid-range" Moto G series
(i.e. the Moto G7) on their $15/month plan with unlimited talk/text plus
unlimited data (internet) over wifi. It certainly is a great way to start if
you want to try out Republic Wireless service. If you need cellular
data (internet access over cellular), for only $5 more ($20/month) you can
get 1GB of cellular data each month, but if you can live with wifi only internet, you
won't find a better deal today than the Republic Wireless $15/month
plan!
***
PROS ***
PRO #1) INCREDIBLE VALUE and SAVINGS:
Republic Wireless offers amazing value! Their unlimited talk & text
plan with free data over wifi just cannot be beat! As I wrote above, I highly recommend their
$15/month plan that includes unlimited talk & text over wifi and over the T-Mobile network
(plus cellular roaming when needed for voice and text) AND
unlimited internet access over wifi. They also have a $20/month plan which
includes 1GB of cellular data for those people that really need some
cellular data. That said,
I still think the $15/month plan just can't be beat, especially if you can live with
just having internet over wifi (do you really need youtube in your car?)
The monthly savings add up. We're saving
about $75 a month (compared to if we had stuck with T-Mobile and
added a third phone). We were paying T-mobile $71.92/month
(including tax) for voice & text service on our two old "dumb" flip
phones, and we were limited to 700 weekday minutes per month and only had 300
texts a month on only one phone. This means we were paying T-Mobile an
average of $36/month per phone (for flip phones!) and we were only getting
limited voice & text. Now, with Republic Wireless, we're paying
$33.93/month (including taxes) for all three of our three Moto G smartphones with unlimited talk and
text and free internet over wifi, or an average of $11.31/month per phone! That means
we're getting more and paying
less, about $75 less a month!
PRO #2) NO CONTRACT:
Republic Wireless doesn't lock you into a 2 year contract. There is NO
contract. AT&T and Verizon may give you a seemingly sweet deal on a new
phone, but then they lock you into an expensive 2 year contract and charge
huge early termination fees if you leave. Again, with Republic Wireless
there is no contract. You will need one of the Android smartphones
which supports their service, which you can either buy from Republic or you
can "bring your own" and just purchase the Republic SIM card. Republic has
the very reasonable priced $199 Moto G4, and all of their phones and plans
are covered by a 14-day money back guarantee. You can try the
phone and service for 14 days, and cancel at any time for a full refund
(minus shipping). You really should at least try Republic, even if you keep
your current cell phone provide while you try out Republic. And once you're with
Republic, you can cancel at an time with no contract termination fee. If you
ever leave Republic, since the new Republic Wireless 3.0 uses "unlocked"
phones, you can use your phone with a different service provider. Almost all
of the Republic 3.0 phones are both GSM and CDMA, meaning they will work
with all of the big four providers (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint), as
well as all of the MVNOs that use those service providers. There really is
no risk that I can see to trying Republic. Why not sign up today and start
saving money?!
PRO #3) EXCELLENT VOICE QUALITY OVER WIFI:
I am regularly amazed at how good the voice quality is when I'm
talking at home on wifi. Of course, we have decent cable broadband internet
and a good (but surprisingly cheap) wifi router. Talking on the
Republic Wireless Moto G on
wifi at our house is just like talking on a land line. The Moto G also usually has very good
voice quality
when on talking on Sprint cellular service, although sometimes talking
cell-phone-to-cell-phone the voice quality sounds like... you're talking on a cell phone. :)
PRO #4) PC MAGAZINE'S READER CHOICE AWARD 2015
Republic Wireless shared PC Magazine's Reader Choice Award with
Consumer Cellular, easily beating out all of the big four (AT&T, Verizon,
T-Mobile, and Sprint). According to PC Magazine, Republic was the highest
rated company for satisfaction with fees (9.5), and had excellent ratings
for overall satisfaction (8.8) and likelihood to recommend (9.0). The lowest
area in the ratings for Republic Wireless was not surprisingly in their
phone selection, as they do not offer the wide selection of phones that
other carriers do. PC Magazine's survey backs up the impressive statistic on
Republic's website: "Over 95% of the people who try Republic stick with us."
If you read the many Republic Wireless reviews available across the internet
(i.e Clark Howard, CNET, Consumer Reports, etc), you will find a few negative comments (some I think are justified,
some I think aren't). As I stated at the beginning of this review, Republic isn't for everyone (for
some people's needs, I don't think any wireless company could really make
them happy). But according to PC Magazine and Republic's own website, the
vast majority of Republic Wireless's customers are satisfied with their
service (and love the savings!). I know my family is, and I think that if you
determine Republic Wireless would be a good fit for your smart phone needs
as well and if you try them, then you too will be satisfied.
PRO #5) TRY REPUBLIC WIRELESS RISK-FREE FOR 14 DAYS
Republic Wireless offers a 14 Day Money Back Guarantee on their phones. You
can try them out for up to 14 days, and if the phone or service doesn't work
for you, you can return the phone for your money back (minus shipping). With
the amount of money most people can save, I don't see any reason not to try
Republic Wireless.
PRO #6) The $15/mo Unlimited Talk & Text plan with NO cellular data IS
THE BEST PLAN FOR KIDS AND TEENAGERS
If you are a parent getting your kid or teenager a smartphone, I would tell
you that the best thing you can do for your kid or teenager is get them the
Republic Wireless $15 per month unlimited talk and text plan with NO
cellular data (assuming you have wifi at home for data). I have all three of
our Republic Wireless phone plans on unlimited talk and text but NO cellular
data. I did this because I am cheap, and figured (correctly) that we could
live without cellular data (we have wifi at home, work, and school). In
retrospect, I would still do the same thing even if I wasn't cheap, because
not having any cellular data is so much better for my daughter (though I'm
not sure she would agree with this). I feel very strongly that giving your
kids cellular data is a mistake. I am so happy my teenage daughter DOES NOT
HAVE CELLULAR DATA! When she first got her smartphone, she would text a lot
with her friends (which is why unlimited texting is so important), but
apparently now texting is ancient technology that nobody who is hip uses
anymore (which may explain why I still text). My daughter now uses Snapchat,
and I shudder when I think about how distracting it is and how much time she
spends on it. We tell her to Snapchat less, and she tries, but I think that
Snapchat (along with other social media, Instagram, Youtube, and the
internet in general) can be very addicting, and can take up far too much of
a young person's time. So I'm happy that my daughter can only Snapchat on
wifi when she is at home, and not in the car or at ballet lessons. In my
opinion, providing cellular data to a kid is like giving them a huge bowl
full of candy and then telling them to just eat a little and use restraint.
It's asking too much. Kids don't need cellular data, and they do better when
they only have wifi data. It's much better for them to be bored and look out
the car window, instead of staring at Snapchat on their smartphone screen.
Do your kid/teenager a favor and don't get them cellular data. They won't
like you for it now (my daughter regularly asks why she doesn't have
cellular data like her friends), but someday your kids will thank you.
***
CONS ***
(possible) CON #1) No Phone-Based Customer Service:
For some people, this might be a con, but it doesn't bother me at all.
Republic Wireless doesn't have a phone number that you can call for customer
service. Instead, you can submit a help ticket on their website, and they'll
get back to you. They have online chatting during regular business hours.
Finally, if you have a problem, you can post it on their customer forum and it's
amazing the amount of help you'll get from other Republic Wireless
customers. Personally, I don't mind at all not being able to call a customer service rep. With
both AT&T and T-Mobile, I was able to all an 800 phone number, but that
didn't solve my problem. As I wrote above under our "cell phone history", I
spent hours on the phone with both AT&T and T-Mobile when we had service
problems, but all we really got was very nice people that told us what they
thought we wanted to hear and made lots of promises, but were never able to
fix our problems. With Republic Wireless, we've had very few issues, and
they've usually just resolved themselves. I'd much rather submit a help
ticket and let them get back to me, instead of attempting to navigate through an
endless "press 1" then "press 2" then "press 1" voice prompt menu
only to eventually end up getting some representative who reads from a script but really
can't do anything to help me.
> October 9, 2016 update: my own customer service experience with
Republic Wireless over the past two years. I decided to update this
"possible con" section to cover how Republic Wireless customer service has
been for us for the past two years. I recently decided to swap phone numbers
between two of our Moto G smartphones. My wife has a 16gb version, and
wasn't using very much of her phone's memory. My daughter has the 8gb
version, and was constantly running out of phone memory for storage space.
So I decided the easiest solution was for them to "trade" phones, which
meant swapping phone numbers. I knew this meant opening a support ticket
with Republic Wireless. When we were ready to make the switch, I opened the
support ticket request. It was late on a Saturday afternoon, and I assumed I
wouldn't get a response until Monday morning at the earliest. Instead, I was
surprised to have Dawn (a Republic Wireless customer support person) reply
to my support request on Sunday morning, the very next day! She asked me to
confirm the serial numbers on the two phones to make it clear which phones I
wanted to swap. I replied to her, and in less than an hour later, the phone
numbers were swapped. That is great customer service! I never had to call a
number and wait on hold or navigate through a bunch of voice prompts.
Instead, I just opened a support ticket, and my request was taken care of
during the weekend.
Looking back at my support requests over the past two years, I realize that
I have never needed or wanted to call a customer support number. When we got
our first phone, I opened a support ticket because a few times a phone call
wouldn't go through or it was garbled. The support person recommended some
fixes, but if my memory services me right, the problem just went away after
a few days (or the fixes worked). Twice I have used the Republic Wireless
community forum to help with issues. The first time it was because my
mother-in-law wasn't getting our texts. The problem turned out to be on her
end, and was because she had forgotten that when she ordered her service
from Verizon, she put a block on incoming texts so she wouldn't have to pay
for them. More recently, our Moto G smartphones started to experience higher
than normal battery drains on cellular service. I again posted on the
Republic Wireless community forums, and got lots of helpful advice. I ended
up doing a factory reset on all of the phones (they had never been reset
before and are over two years old). The factory reset solved the battery
drain issue. So between the support ticket system and the community forum, I
personally am quite happy with the level of Republic Wireless customer
service we have had over the past two years.
(possible) CON #2) You Can't Use An Apple iPhone
This isn't a con for me, because I'm quite happy with Android-based
smartphones. But it is true, Republic Wireless does not provide service for
iPhones, at least at this time. I recognize some people prefer iPhones
and/or just could not live without an iPhone. If you must have
an iPhone (and pay the iPhone price and monthly service cost), then Republic
Wireless isn't for you.
CURRENT REPUBLIC WIRELESS DEALS
* click here
for current Republic Wireless redemption codes, coupon codes, & special deals * |
REPUBLIC WIRELESS REDEMPTION CODES, COUPON CODES, PROMO
CODES, AND OTHER SPECIAL OFFERS:
Republic Wireless will occasionally offer a special redemption code for
specials such as free shipping or a discount on accessories, or introductory
pricing on new phones, or close-out deals on older model phones that are
being discontinued. They generally email current customers when they have
these special coupon code offers, and they also post them on their
Special Offers and Promotions page (which I would check before
ordering to see if there are any new
deals or new promo codes, coupon codes, or
redemption codes). Even if there aren't any current deals, if you're ready to join Republic
Wireless and start saving money, don't wait too long in hopes of saving just
a little bit more. If you're like most of us, every month you're with
Republic Wireless, you'll save money (over $50 a month in my case), and
every month the savings add up. Or put another way, every month
that you continue to stick with your higher priced service provider instead
of switching to Republic Wireless, that's another month you've thrown away
more money! So don't wait. Stop forking over your hard-earned cash to
overpriced cellular providers like AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and Sprint. You
don't have to pay that much for your cell phone service.
NEW PHONE FINANCING OPTION:
On April 6, 2016, Republic Wireless added the option to finance your new
phone purchase. Instead of paying for your phone up front, you can opt to
pay it off over 6 monthly payments, 12 monthly payments, or 18 monthly
payments. If you use this option, you will pay between 10-30% interest
(APR). The financing is handled by another company, Affirm, and is an option
when you are ordering your phone. If you decide to finance the phone, when
you are ordering, you get temporarily sent to the Affirm website where you
enter some personal information and pick 6 months, 12 months, or 18 months,
and they then determine your interest (based on your credit score and other
factors) and tell you what you monthly payment would be. For example, you
might buy the Moto G outright for $199, or you could make twelve monthly
payments of $19.99 ($240 total because you pay 20% interest).
So what to I think of financing your new phone? I'm cheap, and don't like to
pay someone else interest. That's why I pay off my credit card every month.
I think it's better to pay off your phone upfront (which will save you
money). Republic Wireless is the best option for people who what to save
money on their cell phone service, so I'm not sure why one would then decide
to pay interest on your phone. If you're considering monthly payments
because you want the new most expensive high-end phone they just introduced
but you can't afford to pay for it, then I would suggest buying the phone
you can afford (the awesome Moto G for example), and wait to buy a more
expensive phone until you can actually afford it. Live within your means!
REVIEW CONCLUSION:
The Bottom Line: Is Republic Wireless good? Yes, at least for our family.
We've been using our three Moto G smartphones with Republic Wireless for
three years (since July 2014). We haven't had any problems with our phones or our service.
Our phones just work, which in the end, is what matters. We've
recommended Republic Wireless to many of our friends after often finding out
they're paying twice or three times as much (or more) per month compared to
what we pay with Republic Wireless. Our friends who have decided to try
Republic Wireless and have switched have all been happy, and like us, they all wonder why they
didn't switch to Republic Wireless a long time ago!
|
Comments / Questions / Feedback:
Comment by Buddy Tish on Monday, September 14, 2015
Why does Republic Wireless not offer any of the 3 generations of the Moto G?
Especially The 3rd gen Moto G?
Reply by Steve (Cranial Borborygmus)
Buddy, Good question. Republic Wireless sold the Moto G (Gen 1) for a long
time, until Motorola stopped making it and Republic thus couldn't get it
anymore. Republic doesn't sell the newest generation right away. First, there
has to be a CDMA version of the phone that will work with Sprint (versus a GMA
version). Second, Republic has to develop special software for the phone and
make sure it works. It seems to take several months or more before they offer
the latest version of a phone, if they decide to. In any event, I would expect a
Moto G (Generation 3) phone to be offered soon, at least sometime this year,
because I think there is a strong demand for it. I've also read that Motorola
doesn't let Republic announce anything in advance, so they can't announce until
they actually release the phone. I'll update this comment if I hear anything
more.
update: Republic Wireless began selling and shipping the new Moto G (3rd gen)
smart phone on October 27, 2015.
Comment by Benjamin Rodriguez on Monday, March 21, 2016
I have been with republic for a year now. I have two lines of service with
the Moto g's. My average bill is $26 per month. That's $13 a line. I have the
1gb data plan on each phone, and I get a refund every month. I have gotten used
to using data at home or when wifi is available. I still use data on occasion I
live this service and recommend it. It takes discipline to learn how to use more
wifi data, but in the end. $13 per line per month !!!! Love it .
Reply by Steve (Cranial Borborygmus)
Benjamin, thanks for your comment and feedback on Republic Wireless. It's
always good to hear from other Republic Wireless customers! It's also good to
hear that the Republic Refund plan is working out for you, so you have cellular
data when you need it, but it doesn't end up costing that much because you get
refunded for what you don't use. We will have been with Republic for two years
this coming summer, and I also highly recommend it. We've always stuck with
their $10 plan since we're usually around wifi and can live with just wifi for
our data. My wife and teenage daughter love their Moto G's, as do I, and having
THREE smartphones for about $34 bucks a month TOTAL just can't be beat. My only
regret is that I waited as long as I did until I finally decided to try Republic
Wireless (and leave T-Mobile). Thanks again for taking the time to comment, and
for providing feedback on how the Republic Wireless data refund plan is working
for you.
Comment by Steel Appeal on Sunday, May 01, 2016
How were you assigned a number? I imagine the phone came with a card that
said "this is your number".
Reply by Steve (Cranial Borborygmus)
Good question. It was almost two years ago, but here is what I remember.
When you order your phone and service, you also get an online account. You log
onto your account using your email address and a password. You can see your new
phone number on your account. When you get you phone, I don't remember if there
was a printed card with the number, but after you turn on and activate your
phone, your number will also be on your phone. The fastest way of learning what
it is though is to check your online account.
The number will be assigned based on the nearest area code to your address that
Republic Wireless can use. If you don't like the area code or number, you can
select a different. In addition, after you get the phone and set it up, if you
want, you can port your old number to Republic to replace the number they
assigned to you with your old number, if you want to keep your old number.
Porting an old number is pretty easy, as long as Republic has access to your
area code. There's a way to check that I should post here. But I wouldn't
terminate your old service or port your old number until you get your new
Republic phone and try it out for a while.
Comment by Joyce on Friday, June 10, 2016
Hi - I live in a rural area with limited everything. I do have Internet at
home. My job is more rural. Do you recommend Republic for rural customers?
Reply by Steve (Cranial Borborygmus)
Hi Joyce, I don't think it matters so much whether you are "rural" or
"urban". It's more a question of whether you have wifi (internet) available at
home and/or work, and how the cellular coverage is where you live and work.
Republic Wireless currently uses Sprint for coverage, and will be adding
T-Mobile. There's a link above that you can use to check the cellular coverage
where you are. If you have good coverage and wifi too, Republic is a great way
to save a lot of money! Good luck.
3/19/17 update: Republic Wireless now uses both Sprint and T-Mobile for
cellular data coverage, and also has voice & text roaming on other carriers.
They will determine whether you get a Sprint or a T-Mobile supported phone when
you sign up based on your location and which service works the best at your
location.
Comment by Mike on Thursday, August 04, 2016
Keep in mind fellow cheapskates that although RW now has the Clear Choice
plans, they still offer the Refund Plans that preceded if you have the Moto G
(1st and 3rd gen), Moto X (1st and 2nd Gen) or the Moto E. I think the Refund
Plans are still the best deal for those who want the option of having a small
amount of cell data available for when you are out and about and need to look
something up, get directions, etc. and are not by WiFi. For $17.50 a month you
get a plan with .5GB of data, and all data that is unused is refunded each
month. I typically use 50-100MB a month and am refunded around $5-6 each month,
so my monthly grand total cell bill is ~$13. That is considerably cheaper than
their current lowest cost Clear Choice plan with data, which is $20/month for
1GB, and none of that is refundable. So, after taxes/fees it'd likely be around
$23. So, if you don't use much cell data but would like to be able to have
access to it when needed in the least expensive way then I'd suggest getting one
of those phones listed above (they still have the Moto G 3rd gen available on
their site; and you can of course get it or the others on eBay for good prices.
Moto G 1st gens sell for $50-70 as of right now). I upgraded my Moto G 1st gen
to 3rd gen to get a camera that is actually usable, expandable memory, better
battery life, and it's snappier processor. The Clear Choice plans are pretty
reasonable, but I'll stick with the Refund Plan as long as they offer it as it
is the best deal for me.
Reply by Steve (Cranial Borborygmus)
Mike, great comment! I agree that the Republic Refund plans were a great
deal for people who just needed a little cell data, and I credit Republic for
trying to shake up the way the wireless industry sells cellular data. It's a
bummer that Republic doesn't have the refund feature in their new plans, at
least not now. I understand why with moving to new unlocked GSM phones and
negotiating with a new
carrier (T-Mobile), the plan options have changed and there is new pricing. In
addition, Republic has stopped customizing the ROM on their phones and now just
uses their app and the SIM card to provide service, which means in addition to
buying a phone from Republic Wireless, you can now
also bring your own phone to Republic (it has to be an approved/validated model).
Now
if you ever leave Republic, because all of the new phones are unlocked
(whether you buy a new phone from Republic or buy it on your own), all of the
new phones can be taken with you and used on other carriers. There are
a lot of advantages to Republic 3.0, though again, it's a bummer the refund
feature is gone for now. But Republic may be able to add it back in the future.
For now, if someone wants a refund plan, they would need to get one of the "old"
Republic phones you listed. The only one still for sale on the Republic website
is the white Moto G3, and I don't know how long that will last. The other option
is to buy a used old Republic phone, but I wouldn't recommend that. One really
doesn't know how the used phone was treated or how much life the battery has
left. I don't think it's worth it to buy a used phone just to try to get a
slightly cheaper monthly plan. Still, it's something to consider. Our three
original Republic Moto G smartphones are on the now grandfathered "legacy
Republic 1.0" $10 plans. The phones continue to work just fine, so we'll stick
with them for now. I thinks it speaks well of Republic that they will continue
to support the old plans as long as people have the old phones. Many companies
wouldn't do that. I also think it's a testament to Motorola that after two
years, all three of our Moto G phones just keep plugging away, which is why if I
was getting a new Republic phone, I'd go with the new Moto G4.
Thanks again for your comment!
Comment by Donna on Thursday, August 04, 2016
Does the Republic Wireless phone support navigation and if so, do you need
to get one of the data plans? How are the phones for taking pictures or videos?
Reply by Steve (Cranial Borborygmus)
Hi Donna, As far as navigation goes, for any smartphone service provider
(whether it's Republic or some other provider), if you want online, real-time
navigation, you will need cellular data. However, we use an app called "Here"
which provides off-line navigation, and works well. You download the app and in
our case, a map of California, and then you enter your destination (and favorite
locations like your home) while you are connected to the internet via wifi. Then
when you are out-and-about and away from wifi, Here will use your GPS location
and show you where you are on a map, and tell you how to get to any location you
have already stored. The only downside is you can't search for new locations
(when you aren't on wifi) and you can't get real-time traffic. I think Google
Maps also has an offline version now.
As for the new smartphones for taking pictures and video, I think all
smartphones have come a long way in the past few years, and probably all of the
new Republic phones have "good" camera. I've read that the new Moto G4 camera is
very nice, but I guess it depends on how "good" you want your pictures to be (if
you can even tell the difference) and how much you want to pay. Personally, I'd
be nervous if I was responsible for not losing or breaking an $800 phone, and if
I want the best camera available, I'd get a real SLR camera (they look so cool
too).
Thanks for your comment!
Comment by Patricia on Friday, August 26, 2016
I am a dinosaur who is using a phone that I purchased from Verizon over nine
years ago. I should like to replace it with an additional line as well. Just
replaced a 27 year old auto. The information you have provided is very
encouraging. Are you using a family plan or does each phone have a separate
plan?
Reply by Steve (Cranial Borborygmus)
Hi Patricia, I'm a bit of a dinosaur myself. My wife and I had flip phones
up until two years ago when we switched to Republic Wireless and got our Moto G
smartphones. All of our Republic Wireless phones are on the same account but are
individual plans (all the same unlimited talk & text plan). Republic doesn't
have a family plan, but you can get multiple individual plans and keep them all
under the same account.
PS. We have two cars... a 13 year old 2003 Ford Escape and a 22 year old 1994
Honda Civic. We don't drive that much and both cars still run just fine. I don't
mind being a "dinosaur" if it means saving money and having more of it for the
things in life that really matter.
Comment by Yuan Lee on Thursday, September 29, 2016
How about the roaming service of Republic? About roaming in other countries?
Reply by Steve (Cranial Borborygmus)
Hi Yuan, Republic Wireless uses T-Mobile to provide their cellular service
(when you aren't on wifi). Republic does have voice roaming (for voice, sms
texts, and mms texts), so you should have T-Mobile cellular voice (plus texts)
with roaming on AT&T. However, due to the high cost of roaming data, Republic
does not have cellular data roaming, so cellular data is limited to T-Mobile. In
any event, I strongly encourage people to confirm they have good Republic Wireless / T-Mobile cellular data coverage here
if they are signing up for a plan with cellular data. Republic does not offer
international cellular service, but their phones do work on wifi everywhere. We
were in Sweden this summer, and brought our Republic phones. We put them on
airplane mode and enabled wifi, and they worked great at our hotel and where
ever we had wifi. We were able to call and text back and forth with people in
the US, though you can't make local calls when overseas. Hope this answers your
question, and thanks for your comment.
3/19/17 update: Republic Wireless now uses both Sprint and T-Mobile for
cellular data coverage, and also has voice & text roaming on other carriers.
They will determine whether you get a Sprint or a T-Mobile supported phone when
you sign up based on your location and which service works the best at your
location.
Comment by Thomas Raywood on Monday, November 07, 2016
Truth is, I want to still be able to use my Moto Razr. Can any of your plans
accommodate that? Thanks.
Reply by Steve (Cranial Borborygmus)
Hi Thomas, I still have two "classic" Moto RAZR flip phones and love(d)
them, but we don't use them anymore. The RAZR only works on 2G, and I think that
service is being phased out by all the carriers to make more room for 4G LTE
service and more. We had T-Mobile a few years ago (see my review above) but
T-Mobile changed their service in our neighborhood and our 2G Razr flip phones
weren't reliable anymore. As for Republic Wireless, all of their plans require a
smartphone. I'm not sure what carriers still provide service for an old school
RAZR, but just keep in mind the 2G limitation may be an additional problem. I
know I really loved my flip phone and didn't see any need for a smart phone, but
now that I've been using the Moto G smartphone for over two years, I've got to
admit, smartphones are pretty nice. And the savings we get from Republic's cheap
but good service plans just can't be beat.
Comment by thinking about RW on Monday, November 21, 2016
We have teens. We bought two Moto E 2nd gen phones, used, off of ebay. Does
RW still offer the $10/month plans? Are these phones compatible with the new 3.0
service? Thanks, Ron
Reply by Steve (Cranial Borborygmus)
Hi Ron, Good question. They won't work on the new RW 3.0 plans, but they
would work for the old 2.0 plans if they are Republic Wireless Moto E phones.
Under the old Republic Wireless, RW phones had customized software and only
worked on RW (using Sprint). So if they are RW phones, you can sign them up for
the old $10 plan, but they would have to be the RW custom version. If the Moto E
phones were for a different carrier, they won't work for the old 2.0 plans, and
the Moto E is not a phone that would work for the new 3.0 plans either.
Comment by Laura on Thursday, December 01, 2016
Can you bring in your current telephone number?
Reply by Steve (Cranial Borborygmus)
Hi Laura, If you meant that you want to keep your old number and bring it to
Republic, that process is called "porting" and yes, you can (in most cases)
port/transfer in your old number. First you would get a Republic Wireless phone
and new number, and then whenever you want, you can "port" (transfer) your old
number in to replace the RW number. Most numbers can be ported into Republic
Wireless. They do have a "Number Transfer
Checker" where you can make sure you can
transfer your old number to Republic Wireless. It's good to check before you
order if you need to be able to keep your old number. When we first joined
Republic two years ago, they weren't able to port in numbers from Santa Barbara,
California, so we had to get new numbers, but now they do have numbers for our
city and we would be able to port in our old numbers.
Comment by Peter Meal on Monday, January 09, 2017
Will you be adding iphones to your service? Specifically iphone 5s. Thanks.
Reply by Steve (Cranial Borborygmus)
Hi Peter, Thanks for your question. Republic Wireless does not sell or
support service on any iPhones at this time. They used to rely on customizing
the ROM on their phones to make their hybrid wifi/cellular service work, which
limited them to just the Motorola Defy initially and then the Moto X, Moto G,
and Moto E series of Motorola Android smartphones. Now they've changed how they
work and don't have to customize the phone's ROM. Instead they use their sim and
their app, which means now their service works on a variety of unlocked Android
smartphones running Android Marshmallow or higher. Republic Wireless might
be working on or have plans to also create an iPhone-version of their app that
allows their service to work on iPhones (or it might just not be at all
possible). I'm only speculating and really don't know. I haven't read anything
about this, but it might be a possibility in the future. I just would not
expect it any time soon.
Comment by SZ on Sunday, March 19, 2017
I see mention of a $10 plan in the comments. How's that different than the
$15 plan?
Reply by Steve (Cranial Borborygmus)
Hi SZ, Good question. The "$10 plan" and the "15 plan" both refer to the
same unlimited talk & text plan, but one is the old original plan that is no
longer available and one is the new "Clear Choice" plan. Basically, the price
went up from $10 to $15 in 2016. When Republic Wireless first started (before my
time), they had a single plan for $19.99 with unlimited talk, text, and 5GB of
data I think. Then they restructured their pricing to have multiple plans, and
introduced a $5 wifi only plan, and $10 unlimited talk & text plan, and a $25 or
$40 plan that added 5GB of 3G or 4G data respectively. That's when my family
joined with three lines on the $10 unlimited talk & text plans. Then Republic
introduced their data refund plans, which many people loved, but were apparently
too confusing for potential new customer and discouraged people from joining.
Then, last year in July 2016, Republic Wireless went through a big change. They
switched their phones from having a few customized-ROM Motorola phones that
would only work on Republic Wireless to using a Republic Wireless sim card that
can go in many more phones (meaning a lot more phone options for customers, and
their phones are unlocked now so you can take them to other providers if you
leave Republic). They also switched from using Sprint to
using T-Mobile, though
now they can use either Sprint or T-Mobile, depending on which carrier has
better coverage in your zip code. Finally, they introduced their new Clear
Choice pricing and plans. The $5 wifi only plan and the old $10 talk & text plan are now
gone, though people with older customized-ROM Republic Wireless phones can still
use those old plans. If you could find an older used custom ROM Republic Wireless phone, you can
still activate it under the old plans. But for new customers, the options are
now the new Clear Choice plans, with unlimited talk & text being $15 (which is a
very popular plan), or for $20 you can also get 1Gb of cellular data. I'm not
sure if you wanted this much background, but hopefully I've answered your
question. I do think the $15 talk & text plan is still a great value. Thanks
again for your comment and question!
Comment by Quinn on Tuesday, April 25, 2017
Just thought I would share that there are 2 coupon codes that are active
with Republic Wireless currently. I have itemized them below.
CASL: Get a $20 credit when buying a phone or buying and activating a SIM card.
The $20 credit can be applied to a follow-up purchase of a device/accessories or
the second month of service, depending on which comes first. Expires 5/5/2017
USCLUB: Get $20 credit for new customers or new phone lines, to be applied
within 7 days after activation of service. Expires 5/5/2017
Just today (4/25/2017) I set up a new phone line with Republic Wireless and the
USCLUB code worked perfectly.
Reply by Steve (Cranial Borborygmus)
Hi Quinn, Thanks for sharing the two coupon codes (and verifying that one of
them actually works!). For other readers, Republic Wireless has a blog post
explaining this promotion. Republic Wireless is partnering with two youth soccer
organizations (Capital Area Soccer League and US Club Soccer) and this two
coupon codes are part of this. If you use either one, you will get a $20 credit
on your account that will be applied against future service. The coupon codes
are only valid until 5/5/17. Thanks again for
commenting and sharing!
Comment by MelissaV on Tuesday, May 23, 2017
Considering republic for my own 12 year old daughter but I had one quick
question. Can you make phone calls on republic if you don't have a wifi signal
and you don't have a plan with cellular data? My daughter doesn't have access to
wifi at her school or when she is walking home but I want to be sure she can
call or text us if we opted for the $15 plan with no cell data.
Reply by Steve (Cranial Borborygmus)
Hi Melissa, Yes, the $15 unlimited talk & text plan provides talk and text
on cellular. If you are on wifi, the phone uses wifi, but otherwise, the talk
and text works on cellular. As long as you have a cellular signal, you'll be
able to talk and text. You don't have to be on wifi to talk and text. Both my
son (13) and daughter (15)are on Republic Wireless talk & text only plans (no
cellular data). The phones work fine everywhere for calling and texting, but
they only have internet access when they are on wifi (at home and school). I
think not having cellular data is actually better for my daughter because
she can only use SnapChat when she's on wifi (which is still most of the time).
If she had cellular data, I'm afraid she'd always be on SnapChat, like
many of her friends who have data! Having cellular data is not always a good
thing, especially with teenagers. :)
Comment by Chad on Thursday, June 22, 2017
We're currently with Verizon, primarily because they're the only reliable
service where we live in AZ. Also used a T-Mobile device next to our V devices,
and coverage all over the western US was far superior with V. Question: You
noted a possible "con" was incompatibility with Apple devices; would what I
understand as incompatibility with Verizon devices also be a con? Or did I miss
something?
Thanks! Great review article!!
Reply by Steve (Cranial Borborygmus)
Hi Chad, If the only reliable service provider in your area is Verizon, and
you know that T-Mobile, AT&T, and Sprint would not provide good coverage, then
Republic Wireless may not be a good choice for you. Republic Wireless uses
either T-Mobile (with AT&T voice/text roaming) or Sprint (with Verizon talk/text
roaming), though their phones also work on wifi when it is available. When you
sign up with Republic Wireless, they check your zip code to determine if their
coverage would work for you, or if it won't, they'll let you know. You can use
their
coverage checker. By default, they sell phones that use T-Mobile
for talk/text and data, with AT&T for backup roaming talk/text. If your area
doesn't have decent T-Mobile coverage, then they sell phones that use Sprint for
talk/text and data, with Verizon for backup roaming talk/text. It is simplest if
you buy a phone from Republic to start your service (and they have a 14 day
money back guarantee), but they also have a "bring your own phone" program. If
you have an unlocked GSM-capable smartphone that is on their approved list, you
can buy and install their GSM sim to use their T-Mobile/AT&T service plans, but
the phone must be unlocked and on their approved GSM phone list. You would not
be able to use a Verizon phone on Republic, unless it was fully unlocked and was
one of the approved phones that they support. Hope this answer helps!
Comment by Mark Lewalski on Thursday, July 20, 2017
Quoting a previous post: "Comment by Benjamin
Rodriguez on Monday, March 21, 2016 - I have been with republic for a year now.
I have two lines of service with the Moto g's. My average bill is $26 per month.
That's $13 a line. I have the 1gb data plan on each phone, and I get a refund
every month."
Do you know if this is true? I was thinking about getting the 1Gb plan but don't
know if I will use all the cellular data. Do I get a refund for the unused
amount? I haven't seen info about this on their website.
Reply by Steve (Cranial Borborygmus)
Hi Mark, Benjamin was referring to an older "grandfathered" plan that
Republic no longer offers. In the past when Republic used customized-rom phones,
they also had a plan that offered a refund on unused data. But last year (2016)
when they expanded their coverage options by adding a second service provider
and also started using unlocked phones, they also had to raise their prices a
little on their new Clear Choice plans and remove the data-refund option, though
people who have older Republic Wireless phones can remain on the grandfathered
plans with their old RW phones indefinitely.
Reply by Mark Lewalski on Thursday, July 20, 2017
Thanks very much for the reply Steve. Very useful info on your page. I
needed a phone for my small business and this fit the bill. Mark
Comment by Aaron on Wednesday, August 09, 2017
Excellent rundown here of RW's pros and cons. I used them for a year or so
and then ultimately switched to another MVNO that was less expensive. I did have
some hiccups with the service now and then but I often think it was related to
the phone more than anything else. Their service is generally pretty good - but
will often "out-source" your requests to their knowledgeable userbase before
someone at RW gets involved.
Reply by Steve (Cranial Borborygmus)
Hi Aaron, Thanks for your comment and feedback, and for sharing your own
experience with Republic. I think the Republic Wireless $15 unlimited talk/text
plan as well as the $20 plan which includes 1GB of data are pretty hard to beat,
but it one wants more data per month there are other providers who may offer a
better deal. As for support, they don't have a phone number to call, but I don't
mind that. When I had a problem many years ago with my AT&T service I spent
hours on the phone and never got anywhere. Same thing happened with T-Mobile. So
I'd rather just submit a ticket or an email and have someone in support take
care of it for me (though I think RW also has an online chat option during the
day). More importantly, I've just never needed much support because our phones
and service has almost always just worked, which is nice. I have used their
community forum a few times and have found the people there very helpful. Thanks
again for commenting!
Comment by Gerry Kelly on Saturday, October 28, 2017
Is there a good connections when you travel north, New York, Pennsylvania,
DC? My home is in Tennessee. When traveling will need wireless, I have wifi at
home. I use cell phone very little, when not traveling. Please advise. Thank
you.
Reply by Steve (Cranial Borborygmus)
Hi Gerry, For talk & text, the default Republic Wireless coverage uses
TMobile with AT&T roaming as backup. Cellular data is TMobile only. When you are
signing up, if your local area doesn't have good TMobile coverage, then Republic
would put you on their Sprint system which uses Verizon roaming as backup for
talk & text (cellular data would be on Sprint only). I would expect that
regardless of which system you are on, your coverage when traveling should be
good, especially for talk and text because there is roaming backup. And as you
said, talk, text, and data all work on wifi, so whenever you're on wifi
you'll be "covered" regardless of the actual cellular coverage. I would suggest
that you check your local zip code coverage with Republic Wireless first before
you sign up. Thanks for your comment and question!
Comment by Audrey Neumann on Monday, November 13, 2017
You said that Republic Wireless sends you a phone that will get the best
service for your area. This is great, but, we hope to move from IL to NC next
year. I have put in both zip codes and both will have service. I don't know that
it would be served by the same carrier though, and that the phone they send me
here in IL, will work as well in NC. What is your recommendation? I plan on
getting a phone that has GSM and CDMA.
Also, my daughter and son-in-law use Republic Wireless and have mentioned that
you can upgrade your plan if you know you are going to be traveling? and then
return to your regular plan later. If this is the case, the $15 plan is
absolutely the way to go!
Reply by Steve (Cranial Borborygmus)
Hi Audrey, Good questions!
Regarding coverage: By default, Republic Wireless will sell you a phone with
T-Mobile coverage (and talk/text roaming on AT&T). However, if their coverage
checker determines that Sprint coverage for the zip code is better, they will
sell you a phone with Sprint coverage (and talk/text roaming on Verizon). And of
course, all of their phones work for talk/text/data when you're on wifi.
Here's how you can see if a zip code would result in T-Mobile or Sprint service.
If you put in a zip code in the Republic
Wireless Coverage Checker and you see all of the phones as well as the
bring-your-own-phone option are available, then the assigned carrier would be
T-Mobile. If only some of the phones are available and others phones and the
bring-your-own-phone option are grayed out and are not available, then Sprint
would be the assigned carrier. An example of a zip code only served by Sprint
(and not T-Mobile) is 51111. Keep in mind that one of the good things about
buying a phone from Republic Wireless is that all of their phones are unlocked
and can be taken to other carriers if you leave Republic. Many of their phones
are both GSM and CDMA capable meaning they can be used with AT&T/T-Mobile (GSM
carriers) as well as Verizon/Sprint (CDMA carriers), although I believe Republic
Wireless won't be able to offer the Sprint option on a couple of their newer
phones with CDMA capability until later this year due to some issues getting
them set up with Sprint. Per your comment, getting a phone with both GSM and
CDMA capability does give you more options in the future.
Regarding changing plans: Yes, you can upgrade to a higher level plan if you are
going to be traveling and/or need more data, and then later downgrade back to
your original plan.
Hope this helps, and thanks for commenting!
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