Did you know that
over 60% of US households have WiFi networks installed at home? Ours is one of those households, and we sure do love our WiFi. All five of us use it daily, on our phones and laptops and tablets. But it doesn't come cheap, especially on top of all the phone and data plans we have to pay. One of Alfie's and my major pet peeves is that we have to pay for WiFi AND we have to pay for all our cell phones. We set our phones to WiFi when we get home anyway, so we really ought to receive some kind of discount for using it!
Well, guess what? I've recently discovered a phone service that actually does that -- well, sort of.
Republic Wireless uses
Hybrid Calling technology to use WiFi networks for calls, texts and data when a WiFi network is available, and a cellular network when WiFi isn't available. Since WiFi is cheaper than cellular, they are able to pass the savings on to their customers, and offer extremely cheap, all-inclusive plans. All plans are no-contract plans, and you can switch from plan to plan, up to two times per month. They offer 2 phones -- the Motorola MotoX and MotoG -- for just $299 and $149, respectively, and you don't have to lock yourself into a contract to get those prices! Plus, for a limited time only, Republic Wireless is having a promo where you
get a free Google Chromecast when you buy a MotoX! It's a great deal, but it won't last long because supplies are limited, and I'm told that over half of the Chromecasts for the promo have already been snapped up!
Republic Wireless sent me a Motorola MotoX phone to try out with their $40 plan (unlimited talk, text and 4G data on WiFi and cellular networks), and even though I've only been using it for about 2 weeks, I think it's great! The MotoX phone is wonderful, the coverage is great (it runs on WiFi and the Sprint network), and you really can't beat the plan prices. Here's a rundown of the phone plans that Republic Wireless provides, and what I think about them:
$5 WiFi only plan -- Unlimited talk, text and data over WiFi. To me, this plan doesn't really cut it as a cell phone, because you need WiFi, and you never know when you'll be in a WiFi network outside your home, so you won't be able to use this phone to call for roadside assistance, or to call for a taxi outside a bar. So it would basically be a phone you leave at home -- so it does sound crazy to pay $5 per month when you're using your own WiFi. But if you think of it as a home phone, you'll realize how cheap it is. We pay $20 per month for our home phone line! Note, you can have this plan as your "base" plan, then switch to any of the other plans when you plan to travel and need cellular service. Plans are no-contract, and you can switch plans up to twice per month!
$10 WiFi + Cell Talk &Text -- Unlimited data over WiFi only, unlimited talk & text anywhere (WiFi or cellular). This is a great first plan for middle school kids. You want to be able to call or text them, but you don't want them on social media or the web when they're out with friends.
$25 WiFi + Cell (3G) Talk, Text & Data -- Unlimited unlimited talk, text & data anywhere (WiFi or cellular), with 3G data speeds. This is how much we currently pay for The Pea's "budget" cell phone plan, which has unlimited talk and text... but includes a measly 100 MB of data (which she can use up in just 1 week!).
$40 WiFi + Cell (4G) Talk, Text & Data (available only on Moto X) -- This is Republic's "premium" plan, and it's
still cheaper than any of the big carrier's plans! Alfie's "big carrier" plan costs $50 per month, and it includes only 250 MB of data!
I'll be posting a more detailed review of my experiences with Republic Wireless, so stay tuned... but in the meantime, enjoy this Google Chromecast giveaway courtesy of Republic Wireless!
Win a Google Chromecast
TWO lucky Bonggamom Finds readers will receive a Google Chromecast! This digital media player plays audio/video content on a high-definition display via streaming Wi-Fi. In other words, plug Chromecast into your HDTV, and you can watch YouTube, Internet shows, or any content that you can stream over your WiFi network from the internet!
(photo source: Wikipedia common images)
Required Entry
Leave a comment on this post and tell me which Republic Wireless plan would be right for you.
Extra Entries
For extra entries, you can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment for each extra entry with a way to verify the entry (i.e. tweet link, blog post link, Facebook id, Twitter id, etc.).
1) Follow bonggamom on Blogger (1 entry)
2) Follow bonggamom on Instagram (1 entry)
3) Follow bonggamom on Pinterest (1 entry)
4) Pin this giveaway on any of your Pinterest boards (1 entry -- you can use the "Pin It" button at the bottom of this page!).
5) "Like Bonggamom Finds" on Facebook and write this on my wall (1 entry):
I entered the Google Chromecast giveaway from Republic Wireless! Giveaway ends 8/20 at http://ow.ly/A4MT2
7) Tweet this once per day (1 entry per day)
Enter to win a Google Chromecast fr @republicwireless! Giveaway on @bonggafinds ends 8/20 http://ow.ly/A4MT2
8) Tweet this (1 entry)
RT @bonggafinds: Buy a MotoX phone fr @republicwireless, get a free Google Chromecast. Hurry, supply is limited! http://ow.ly/A4MT2
9) Join any open giveaway on Bonggamom Finds (1 entry for every giveaway you join)
The Rules
This giveaway ends at 11:59PM PST on August 20, 2014; I will draw a winner at random, on August 21 and post their name after they confirm acceptance. Continental US residents only. For additional giveaway rules, click here.
Disclosure: Republic Wireless provided me with a MotoX and 3 months of Republic Wireless service to facilitate my review, and Chromecast units to give away. product or give my opinions. Product information (in italics) is provided by the featured company/product. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
