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Consumers have traditionally been tied to service plans and contracts from the major cellular carriers with high monthly rates for talk, data, text, and smartphone service. is here to disrupt smartphone service as we know it thanks to “WiFi First.” With promises to deliver high quality and savings to customers by using the less expensive WiFi network as much as possible and connecting to nationwide 4G cellular networks when necessary, Republic aims to provide affordable phone service to the masses.
Republic almost seems too good to be true with no contracts, no hidden fees, and Android phones to fit all budgets. They’ve also attracted the attention from major publications like MONEY Magazine who recognized the company for having the best basic plan. Consumer Reports applauded them for being the top pre-paid carrier choice and they were rated by PC Magazine for excellence in user satisfaction.
With a full set of features and high praise from major publications, does a phone operating under “WiFi First” work as well as a phone from the other carriers? The answer is yes.
How Republic Wireless’ WiFi First Works
helps save money by using available WiFi networks instead of cellular network as much as possible. Industry research shows that up to 80% of people’s mobile traffic takes place indoors. With WiFi at your house, your office, your favorite restaurants, shops, malls, airports, and many other places, the mobile network can be used as a “last resort” network, only being utilized when driving or in places without WiFi. This means you use less traffic on the mobile networks, and Republic passes the savings on to you.
When WiFi isn’t available, phones on the Republic network work just like any other smartphone, sending and receiving data by connecting the nationwide LTE networks to make calls, connect to social networks, browse the web, send texts and emails, and all the other things you would normally do on your mobile device.
For the last couple of weeks, I’ve been using a Samsung S7 Edge from Republic Wireless alongside my unlocked S6 Edge+ (that has service from another carrier) and have been quite pleased with the service. My Android phone from Republic works by connecting to WiFi whenever possible, whether in my home or out in public, and the plan is far cheaper than what I currently pay.
Plans start as low as $15/ month, and $30 gets you 2GB of data per month ($35.54/month after federal, state, and county taxes). I’ve found that my Republic phone has seamlessly connected me to my family or work without any lags in coverage. I even took my Republic Wireless S7 Edge with me on a work trip to San Francisco to test out the coverage and found that it worked just as well when traveling to a different city as it did when I was at home in the Washington, D.C. area.
If you’re considering adding a smartphone for a member of your family or switching from your current carrier, here are some reasons to consider switching to Republic.
11 Reasons to Switch Your Phone to Republic Wireless
In case no hidden fees and an affordable monthly plan weren’t quite enough to tempt you into switching to , here are a few more reasons why you might want to consider making a jump to a company who aims to make owning a smartphone more affordable and accessible for everyone.
WiFi First Saves You Money
Being able to offload data onto WiFi helps save money because your phone searches for available networks to connect to first before relying on cellular data for not always relying on your data plan. Republic Wireless devices connect to home WiFi and free public WiFi networks. When WiFi isn’t available, the cellular data plan you purchased from Republic kicks in and you can always keep track of how many gigs of data you’ve used in each billing cycle.
Easy to Order from the Great Selection of Android Phones
Android users and those looking to make a switch will appreciate the wide selection of Android devices at various price points available through the online store that makes ordering super simple. In just a matter of minutes you can select a phone, check for coverage, choose a plan, and enter account and payment information to get a phone just a couple days later.
Makes a Great Starter Plan for Kids
One of the biggest concerns I hear from parents about getting their kids their own phone is the monthly cost of mobile plans on top of the phone itself. Republic Wireless plans beginning at $15/month and smartphones starting at $99 that your kids won’t be embarrassed to carry.
The $15/month plan is a great starter plan as your kids get used to carrying their phone. For $15 a month, you get unlimited talk, text, and WiFi data that ensures that you can stay in touch with them via calls or text, and they can get texts from friends. I like that the most basic plan doesn’t have cellular data because it teaches kids how to be responsible with their phones from the start. Unlimited WiFi will let them access web content like YouTube videos, social networks such as Instagram Stories, and stream Netflix etc. when connected to your home WiFi or public WiFi networks. It helps teach responsibility through limited use.
When your kids are ready for more responsibility and have a need for cellular data, it’s easy to upgrade them to a $20-$30/month plan that will provide a GB or two of cellular data. The Republic Wireless app lets you and your child track data usage so you know exactly how much has been used in each billing cycle but there are never any overages or hidden fees if you hit your limit. If you need more data, it’s easy to do so right from the Republic app on your phone.
Bring Your Own Phone Over to Republic
If you have an Android device on another carrier that you aren’t ready to get rid of, or if you want to pass it down to one of your children, Republic has a list of compatible phones that can be brought over to their network. You’ll just need to get your phone unlocked and obtain a new Republic Wireless SIM card. What’s a SIM card? A SIM card is how your phone identifies you to the cell network and without it, your phone can’t make calls except to connect to 911.
Transfer Your Phone Number Easily
In most cases, can transfer your existing phone number to their service but if you have any concerns, try their Number Transfer Checker first. The good news is that you don’t have to transfer your number right away. Republic lets you try out their service and transfer your number when you’re ready using their request a number transfer feature. Just note that for a number transfer to be successful, your previous account must be active until the process is complete and your Republic Wireless phone must also be activated.
Of course you always have the option of getting a new phone number with your Republic Wireless phone. When you activate your phone, a phone number will be assigned according to your billing zip code and you can change this number up to two times for free per service line. Have questions about the process? Republic Wireless provides great customer service about all sorts of issues via well written and easy to understand documents available through their website.
Before you switch your phone or purchase a new one, you’ll want to check your coverage area on the Republic Wireless website.
No Contracts, No Commitments
With most cellular carriers, you’re locked in to the contract or phone payment plan you sign and breaking the contract to switch plans is pricey. In addition, kids who don’t understand how cellular plans work can rack up massive overage charges, but with Republic Wireless, there aren’t any extra fees if you hit your limit. allows you to add more cellular data when you need it right from the Republic app on your phone without any overages and hidden fees. Republic also makes it easy to switch to a lower wireless plan for your next billing cycle.
Plans for Every Family Member
With plans starting at $15 without cellular data and the most expensive one costing $90/month that include 10 GB of cellular data, there is a plan available for every family member. I like that the most basic plan gives beginning cell phone users exactly what they need and flexible plans make it easy to upgrade or downgrade according to each family member’s data usage needs. There’s no need to share data. Each family member can have their own talk, text, and data plans all managed under one account that can often be less expensive than family plans available from other mobile carriers.
Manage Your Account Directly from the App
If you hate spending time on the phone calling your mobile carrier’s call center only to hang up in frustration and hate playing roulette with wait times at your local brick and mortar location, Republic Wireless’ free app is a breath of fresh air when it comes to managing your account.
Republic Wireless app makes it easy to view your plan, see how much cellular data you have left, manage your account, and take care of customer service issues like find answers to your questions or open a help ticket.
Sync Your Republic Number with Any Device to Get Text Messages Even When You’re Away from Your Phone
Launched on June 22, the new Republic Anywhere app allows you to sync your Republic number with any device (laptops, phones & tablets) to connect to your text messages even when you’re away from your Republic Wireless serviced phone. This free feature for all Republic Wireless members enables you to:
- Send and receive text messages from your computer, using your phone number, just like you do on your phone
- Sync all your messages & contacts across devices, so all your messages are with you…no matter what device you are using
- Stop worrying that you can’t get your messages when you’re without your phone because Anywhere works like another phone. It allows you to stay in touch when your actual phone is lost, out of battery, or happened to take an unexpected swim in a body of water or a puddle.
Add Your Phone as a Hotspot
Parents who rely on their phones as hotspots for work can also add your phone as a hotspot with a Republic Refund or Clear Choice plan.
Get $20 off Service or a Phone
If you’ve read this post and are tempted to make a switch or purchase a phone from for your child, you can get $20 off service or a phone atby using the code: TECHSAVVY2017. Just click to automatically have the coupon appear on your screen! Terms and conditions can be found .
This is a sponsored post for SheSpeaks/Republic Wireless. I received a phone on loan from Republic Wireless and 3 months of service to try Republic Wireless’ network. While I was compensated for this post, all opinions are my own and based on personal experience.
