Customers of Republic Wireless' dirt-cheap cellular service will finally be able to opt for a top-of-the-line phone. But the cost of service is going to increase as a result.
In November, Republic will begin offering Motorola's Moto X smartphone in white or black—no Moto Maker customizations, sadly—for $300 with no contract required. While that's $100 more expensive than the on-contract price through larger carriers, Republic's cellular service is much cheaper, starting at $10 per month for voice and text.
Republic says it achieves those lower rates by routing voice calls and text messages over Wi-Fi when available, using Sprint's network as a backup. The idea is that users will only rely on cellular service when they're outside the house.
Currently, Republic offers just one phone, Motorola's Defy XT, a decidedly low-end phone by today's standards. The Moto X is a drastic improvement, with Android 4.2, a zippy dual-core processor, 10-megapixel camera and some useful software features such as hands-free voice activation. With the addition of a modern smartphone, Republic becomes a lot more interesting cellular option.
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