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Republic Wireless Offering $99 Motorola Defy XT, $29 Monthly Fee

Chloe Albanesius
 & Chloe Albanesius Executive Editor, News

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Republic Wireless, which has made a name for itself by offering unlimited cell phone service for $19 per month, is now offering a slightly more expensive plan but lowering the price of the Motorola handset that runs on its network.

Republic Wireless customers can now get a Motorola Defy XT smartphone for $99, provided they opt for the $29 per month service plan. The $19 per month plan will still be available, but the smartphone will set you back $249.

"Consumers spoke, and we listened. It's that simple," David Morken, co-founder and president of Republic Wireless parent company, Bandwidth said in a statement. "People love Republic and the tremendous savings we offer consumers, but the upfront $249 price point for the Motorola Defy XT was cost-prohibitive for some. Today's announcement provides the option for shoppers to save now with a lower price for the phone, or save over time with a lower monthly cost for service."

Those who purchase a Motorola Defy XT between now and March 18 will receive a $50 Google Play store credit.

Republic Wireless is an MVNO of Sprint, but it's based around Wi-Fi instead of cellular networks. So rather than using cellular as the base network, with wireless hotspots as a fallback, Republic Wireless takes the opposite approach. So you'll only be paying $19 for unlimited talk, text, and data, but most of that will happen over Wi-Fi.

The Defy XT uses Republic Wireless's Hybrid Calling technology to leverage Wi-Fi as the primary network, and uses the cellular network as a backup only when needed.

As a result, Republic Wireless hopes that most of your cell phone activity will happen on Wi-Fi. Republic Wireless has a deal with DeviceScape to make its phones automatically attach to Wi-Fi hotspots around the world. But if there's no Wi-Fi, the phones will run on Sprint's 3G network.

Republic Wireless made its debut in late 2011, and PCMag took it for a spin with the LG Optimus S. The company opened up its beta program in July 2012, adding the Motorola Defy XT to its lineup.

For more, see PCMag's review of the Motorola Defy XT, as well as our November interview with Republic Wireless's Morken.

Alex Colon contributed to this report.

About Our Expert

Chloe Albanesius

Chloe Albanesius

Executive Editor, News

My Experience

I started out covering tech policy in DC for The National Journal, where my beat included state-level tech news and all the congressional hearings and FCC meetings I could handle. I later covered Wall Street trading tech before switching gears to consumer tech. I now lead PCMag's news coverage.

My Areas of Expertise

Getting my start in DC means I still have a soft spot for tech policy; Congressional hearings can sometimes be as entertaining as a Bravo reality show, for better or worse. But PCMag is all about the technology we use every day, as well as keeping an eye out for the trends that will shape the industry in the years ahead (or flop on arrival). I've covered the rise of social media, the iOS vs. Android wars, the cord-cutting revolution that's now left us with hefty streaming bills, and the effort to stuff artificial intelligence into every product you could imagine. This job has taken me to CES in Vegas (one too many times), IFA in Berlin, and MWC in Barcelona. I also drove a Tesla 1,000 miles out west as part of our Best Mobile Networks project. Of late, my focus is on our hard-working team of reporters at PCMag, guiding and editing their robust coverage.

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