Author Topic: Want to try Republic Wireless, but I'm addicted to FaceTime. Advice?  (Read 11422 times)

wild wendella

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I really would like to try Republic Wireless.  But my son facetimes with my parents and sister a few times a month, and that's invaluable to me.  Skype is garbage in comparison.  I do need a new phone however because my iphone 4 is cracked and barely half-works.  So I'm looking at buying an iphone 5 and going with the $40 or $50 a month plan from t-mobile.  Is that a stupid waste of money?  Can anyone offer me a better option or talk me out of it?  Is it irrational to choose a phone purely because of FaceTime?
« Last Edit: August 08, 2014, 08:36:05 AM by wild wendella »

cyrius

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Re: Want to try Republic Wireless, but I'm addicted to FaceTime. Advice?
« Reply #1 on: August 08, 2014, 08:32:45 AM »
Republic has the MotoX. My brother has this phone. The mighty power of Google has you covered on video chat.

MandyM

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Re: Want to try Republic Wireless, but I'm addicted to FaceTime. Advice?
« Reply #2 on: August 08, 2014, 08:42:30 AM »
Is that a stupid waste of money? ... Is it irrational to choose a phone purely because of FaceTime?

Yes and yes. RW isn't even the only choice. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_mobile_virtual_network_operators

Cromacster

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Re: Want to try Republic Wireless, but I'm addicted to FaceTime. Advice?
« Reply #3 on: August 08, 2014, 08:56:07 AM »
There are plenty of other options besides RW.  RW is somewhat popular here because MMM recommends, but it's not for everyone.

I recommend you read the super guide.

http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/share-your-badassity/communications-tech-son-of-the-superguide!/


and check out:

http://www.techmeshugana.com/theguide/

alsoknownasDean

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Want to try Republic Wireless, but I'm addicted to FaceTime. Advice?
« Reply #4 on: August 08, 2014, 09:03:28 AM »
It may even be worth getting a used iPad for the Facetime duties.

chicagomeg

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Re: Want to try Republic Wireless, but I'm addicted to FaceTime. Advice?
« Reply #5 on: August 08, 2014, 09:06:54 AM »
Republic has the MotoX. My brother has this phone. The mighty power of Google has you covered on video chat.

So just so we're clear, you are saying that Moto X can be used to interact with iPhone users over FaceTime?

(I am not advocating usage of an iPhone, Moto X or other smart phone. I'm just trying to make sure we're exchanging accurate information.)


No, it can't be. Instead, you can use Google Hangouts. If I were you, I'd install Google Hangouts on your phone & your family's phones, and see how if it works as well as Facetime. If it does, you open your options up to include Android phones.

MandyM

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Re: Want to try Republic Wireless, but I'm addicted to FaceTime. Advice?
« Reply #6 on: August 08, 2014, 09:09:21 AM »
It may even be worth getting a used iPad for the Facetime duties.

This is a good idea. Separate your desire for Facetime from your phone plan. Figure out a way to video chat without having to pay a monthly fee to do so. Then go get the cheapest phone plan that meets your needs.

alsoknownasDean

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Want to try Republic Wireless, but I'm addicted to FaceTime. Advice?
« Reply #7 on: August 08, 2014, 09:24:29 AM »
Even an iPod touch would do Facetime.

Also, why buy a prepaid device that's locked to one carrier, and will never be able to be unlocked? Better off getting something unlocked so if you can get a better deal with another carrier, you can port the number and put a new SIM in :)

Being able to freely change is better than being held to ransom when one carrier decides to increase rates :)

Hamster

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Re: Want to try Republic Wireless, but I'm addicted to FaceTime. Advice?
« Reply #8 on: August 08, 2014, 10:13:37 AM »
I really would like to try Republic Wireless.  But my son facetimes with my parents and sister a few times a month, and that's invaluable to me.  Skype is garbage in comparison.  I do need a new phone however because my iphone 4 is cracked and barely half-works.  So I'm looking at buying an iphone 5 and going with the $40 or $50 a month plan from t-mobile.  Is that a stupid waste of money?  Can anyone offer me a better option or talk me out of it?  Is it irrational to choose a phone purely because of FaceTime?
Yes, it's a stupid waste of money for the vast majority of people. As others have said, you can use any iProduct on Wifi for facetime - a used iPad, iPod, or unlocked phone. If your current contract is up and your half-working iPhone4 still works for FaceTime, just keep it around for that, but cancel the cell plan and get a different phone to use as a phone.

RW may be cheaper than what you have now,  but I would suggest that RW is nowhere near the most frugal or badass option, and it gets you stuck with a phone you can't move to another carrier.

If you want a cheap phone like the ones on RW, just get a MotoE for $129 or Moto G for $179 directly from motorolla and use it on Airvoice or another ATT or T-mobile MVNO. I spend $10 per month on airvoice most months. Just turn off data when you are out of the house. You can still use voice and text - and if you go over the $10, just add more. Their website is awful, but their customer service is very easy to reach and helpful. Better telephone customer service than Verizon in my experience.

When on wifi, I can make calls to most people without spending minutes by using facebook messenger. A few others use skype or google hangouts.

It's a little more work, but better than dropping tons of money on a new iPhone or an expensive contract just for facetime.

sandandsun

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Re: Want to try Republic Wireless, but I'm addicted to FaceTime. Advice?
« Reply #9 on: August 08, 2014, 10:26:54 AM »
Not sure if this is just a regional offer/carrier, but I just got a 2 year plan with Ntelos (who was my carrier anyway, great reception in my area) for 30.00/month which includes unlimited talk/text and 1G of data (extra 10 bucks if you go over that in a month- I never will)... AND it came with a free Iphone 4s... so literally I am paying like 35.00 per month- taxes and everything- for 2 years with a new phone...

Scandium

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Re: Want to try Republic Wireless, but I'm addicted to FaceTime. Advice?
« Reply #10 on: August 08, 2014, 10:29:54 AM »
I just re-read I.P. Daley's guide, and I'm switching from Republic Wireless to AirVoice Wireless.

In my use case (tons and tons of fancy pants luxurious expensive texting) I'm going with the $30 / month unlimited plan. (I use very little data.)

The reason I'm switching? Phone call quality with Sprint (weak signal in many places) and Wi-Fi (robot voices and severe lag in both directions) has been a huge hassle for me. I used Straight Talk in the past, and I was extremely happy with AT&T signal strength and call quality. AirVoice  will give me the same but for less money.

Why am I telling you all this? AirVoice is an AT&T provider - you can buy a SIM for them and put it in an iPhone. (I think? Read I.P. Daley's guide!)
Hey, thanks. You made me look at Airvoice again (last time was ~4 months ago I think) and they look much better now! I went  with Aio (now Cricket) instead for their $35/500MB plan. But it looks like Airvoice has the same plan for $30! And I get international SMS which cricket charges extra for.

Airvoice doesn't do the Republic call-over-wifi nonsense do they? From what I read this is a janky solution with a fair few problems. I just want to use an unlocked GSM phone with no restrictions.

Edit:
wait, what? Reading Airvoice terms of service I found this:

"When using Wi-Fi, you will need to turn OFF your Cellular Data Network Setting on your handset. If you do not turn off the cellular data network setting on your handset, you will be charged for internet usage even if you are using Wi-Fi because it will still be considered Cellular Data Usage"

What the hell is this? I don't want to turn data off any time I'm on wifi. How come they can't figure that out? Is this really the case, that seems idiotic.

2nd edit: My continuing look at Airvoice..
Turns out they only alot you half your data per month, and you have to call (!) and ask for the 2nd half. At which point you loose anything left on the 1st half.. This sounds like a huge PIA. No thanks Airvoice. I'll stay with cricket, or checking out H2O now
« Last Edit: August 08, 2014, 10:59:41 AM by Scandium »

catccc

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Re: Want to try Republic Wireless, but I'm addicted to FaceTime. Advice?
« Reply #11 on: August 08, 2014, 10:57:10 AM »
The $10 airvoice plan has been great and I've been using it for about 1.5 years now.  I've been using airvoice with an iphone 4 (purchased used for $100) since spring, before that it was a samsung hand-me-down from my BIL.  Airvoice is perfect for my needs and really cheap to boot.  Calls go through on the AT&T network, which is sometimes meh, but I don't talk that much.  Or text that much, really.  But when I do "text" a lot, it's via imessage or fb messenger while on wifi.  I think I can use data, but I haven't made the call to Airvoice to do so, and haven't had a need for it ever, so I think I'll just keep my life simple and stick to wifi.  Home and work have wifi, and if I'm elsewhere, it's usually because I should be doing something other than being on my phone (driving, running an errand, watching my kids play at a park, etc.).  I don't really want another avenue to have my face glued to a screen while life is happening around me...  I think once I got really chatty and had to refill my $10 a week early, but other than that one time, it's just $10 every 30 days.

Scandium

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Re: Want to try Republic Wireless, but I'm addicted to FaceTime. Advice?
« Reply #12 on: August 08, 2014, 12:17:08 PM »
Airvoice doesn't do the Republic call-over-wifi nonsense do they? From what I read this is a janky solution with a fair few problems. I just want to use an unlocked GSM phone with no restrictions.

Edit:
wait, what? Reading Airvoice terms of service I found this:

"When using Wi-Fi, you will need to turn OFF your Cellular Data Network Setting on your handset. If you do not turn off the cellular data network setting on your handset, you will be charged for internet usage even if you are using Wi-Fi because it will still be considered Cellular Data Usage"

What the hell is this? I don't want to turn data off any time I'm on wifi. How come they can't figure that out? Is this really the case, that seems idiotic.

2nd edit: My continuing look at Airvoice..
Turns out they only alot you half your data per month, and you have to call (!) and ask for the 2nd half. At which point you loose anything left on the 1st half.. This sounds like a huge PIA. No thanks Airvoice. I'll stay with cricket, or checking out H2O now

That may be a precaution on the first one. I mean, the phone itself should prioritize WiFi over cellular, and if the data does not pass through Airvoice, they have no way of knowing you used Wireless data. (It may be with older phones, i.e. when that was written, you might think you're not using cellular data because you've connected to WiFi but for some reason it would still use it.)

As for the two part allotment, that was specifically for the $60/month plan, right? I wouldn't think that'd be an issue for you or me? Right? Right?! :)

At any rate, I'll give them a shot and see how it goes.

Yes the first part is hopefully just to cover them if your phone does something weird.

The two part data allotment seems to be the case for all plans. People on Howard forums were complaining about it for all the plans. If you get the $30 plan you will get 250MB, then have to call once you use that to get your other 250MB. Every month. (theory is that they then save when people don't do this).
Sounds like a pain. Right now I'm liking the looks of H2O Wireless better. Same $30/500MB plan and none of these issues. And I'd save $5/month compared to my current Cricket plan. Haven't found anything nasty in the H2O TOS, yet..

Hamster

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Re: Want to try Republic Wireless, but I'm addicted to FaceTime. Advice?
« Reply #13 on: August 08, 2014, 12:22:49 PM »
Airvoice doesn't do the Republic call-over-wifi nonsense do they? 
No, they don't.
Edit:
wait, what? Reading Airvoice terms of service I found this:

"When using Wi-Fi, you will need to turn OFF your Cellular Data Network Setting on your handset. If you do not turn off the cellular data network setting on your handset, you will be charged for internet usage even if you are using Wi-Fi because it will still be considered Cellular Data Usage"

What the hell is this? I don't want to turn data off any time I'm on wifi. How come they can't figure that out? Is this really the case, that seems idiotic.
My understanding is that this only applies to iPhones with newer versions of iOS. I may be off on the exact details, but I asked customer service about this before I signed up last year, and they said it is only an iPhone issue. I have never been charged data while on WiFi on my android phone. It is smart enough to split them up. There are a lot of issues with iPhones eating massive amounts of data inappropriately. IP Dailey could probably explain the details, but since the iPhone 5 and latest version of iOS, a lot of people have had issues on MVNOs from what I understand.

2nd edit: My continuing look at Airvoice..
Turns out they only alot you half your data per month, and you have to call (!) and ask for the 2nd half. At which point you loose anything left on the 1st half.. This sounds like a huge PIA. No thanks Airvoice. I'll stay with cricket, or checking out H2O now
I have never had an issue with this since I use the $10 per month plan, and there is no set data allotment. I automatically add $10 credit per month. It automatically deducts 4 cents per minute, 2 cents per text, 6 cents per MB. After every use, it tells me how much is left. If I am below $1, then I add another $10 to my acct. Most months I don't need to add any extra. The initial $10 is "use it or lose it". Any additional credit I add rolls over.

I will say that AirVoice's website is AWFUL - It doesn't even properly explain how the plans work, or that the issue with data usage while on WiFi only applies to iPhones. But, when you call customer service, you quickly reach a real person, and they are actually helpful. A far cry from my Verizon days of paying out my eyeballs and sitting on hold.

There may be better MVNOs out there, but honestly, I think most people could get down to $10 per month if they use a messaging app instead of texting, and just turn off mobile data when out/about unless they are actually using it.

Daley

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Re: Want to try Republic Wireless, but I'm addicted to FaceTime. Advice?
« Reply #14 on: August 08, 2014, 12:24:17 PM »
Yes the first part is hopefully just to cover them if your phone does something weird.

The two part data allotment seems to be the case for all plans. People on Howard forums were complaining about it for all the plans. If you get the $30 plan you will get 250MB, then have to call once you use that to get your other 250MB. Every month. (theory is that they then save when people don't do this).
Sounds like a pain. Right now I'm liking the looks of H2O Wireless better. Same $30/500MB plan and none of these issues. And I'd save $5/month compared to my current Cricket plan. Haven't found anything nasty in the H2O TOS, yet..

It is, and it mostly applies to iPhone users, too, as some have reported problems with various builds of iOS (not all). Apple doesn't like people taking their expensive shineys to cheap MVNOs, so screwy things keep happening to users on that front, especially on the AT&T MVNO end.

The two-part data allotment is with all of their monthly unlimited packages, but most people usually don't notice it. Even on the $30 plan, if you've gone lean on your data usage, you'll likely never half to activate the other half. That said, there's always H2O if you'd rather not risk the hassle (consider how many are on the Airvoice $30 plan here and probably haven't even noticed they're not actually using even 250MB a month).

It's also worth noting that P'tel now has a $25/month unlimited talk, text and 2G data package if T-Mo coverage is an option. Republic, eat your heart out!
« Last Edit: August 08, 2014, 12:26:28 PM by I.P. Daley »

Scandium

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Re: Want to try Republic Wireless, but I'm addicted to FaceTime. Advice?
« Reply #15 on: August 08, 2014, 01:19:55 PM »
I guess, I don't often go above 250MB. But H2O has the same price so don't see much reason to use Airvoice then.

The pay as you go plans may or may not work out. Playing with the numbers now; 200Mb, 60 min and 100 text for example is ~$30. I think I use something like that. Maybe slightly lower but also sometimes over. Unfortunately my plan doesn't tell me how much I talk/text. I text my wife when I leave work, that's 25x2 just there. (Yes I tried to get her to use an IM app but she preferred to have everything in the one messaging app one her iPhone, so whatever.) I can probably save a few bucks per month, but not sure it's worth having to worry over every minute and text I use at this point. I can at least save $5 by getting of Cricket so that's good to know! And it will let me text my parents abroad again as a bonus.


By the way, to keep this on topic. To the OP; buy an unlocked used iPhone, get an AT&T MVNO (airvoice, cricket, H2o) and use facetime on wifi. Even at $30-35 you're paying less than half the price of the big carriers!
« Last Edit: August 08, 2014, 01:26:48 PM by Scandium »

Daley

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Re: Want to try Republic Wireless, but I'm addicted to FaceTime. Advice?
« Reply #16 on: August 08, 2014, 01:30:39 PM »
I guess, I don't often go above 250MB. But H2O has the same price so don't see much reason to use Airvoice then.

I might be able to give you a reason. There is one favorable point for Airvoice that H2O, Cricket, and nearly every other prepaid provider doesn't have: data tethering is not against Airvoice's terms of service. It is, however, against the terms and can result in termination with H2O, Cricket, and pretty much every other MVNO but maybe Page Plus, Consumer Cellular and Ting (those last two being postpaid options), or outfits that charge a premium for the tethering option, like Virgin. It's not a huge gimme, but I think it's a fair trade at the price points for a mobile data usage option that doesn't particularly exist outside of postpaid plans.
« Last Edit: August 08, 2014, 01:35:49 PM by I.P. Daley »

Scandium

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Re: Want to try Republic Wireless, but I'm addicted to FaceTime. Advice?
« Reply #17 on: August 08, 2014, 01:43:58 PM »
I guess, I don't often go above 250MB. But H2O has the same price so don't see much reason to use Airvoice then.

I might be able to give you a reason. There is one favorable point for Airvoice that H2O, Cricket, and nearly every other prepaid provider doesn't have: data tethering is not against Airvoice's terms of service. It is, however, against the terms and can result in termination with H2O, Cricket, and pretty much every other MVNO but maybe Page Plus, Consumer Cellular and Ting (those last two being postpaid options), or outfits that charge a premium for the tethering option, like Virgin. It's not a huge gimme, but I think it's a fair trade at the price points for a mobile data usage option that doesn't particularly exist outside of postpaid plans.

Interesting. But how do they enforce this? I had my old galaxy nexus on AT&T a while a tethered a few times without problems. Even though it's against the TOS. Since it was bought directly from google there was no AT&T "spyware" to prevent me from tethering, and they didn't seem to notice. If I used 3GB in a few days maybe they would, but then I'm over my 500MB limit anyway.

I'm not sure if my current moto G will report tethering to the carrier somehow (?), but I don't think so. If they do I'm sure I can load Cyanogenmod and get around it. And last time I tethered was over a year ago so not sure I need it.. But thanks for the heads up!

Just placed an order with H2O! They also say there's a 10% discount for auto-recharge > $27/month!

Daley

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Re: Want to try Republic Wireless, but I'm addicted to FaceTime. Advice?
« Reply #18 on: August 08, 2014, 01:51:31 PM »
I guess, I don't often go above 250MB. But H2O has the same price so don't see much reason to use Airvoice then.

I might be able to give you a reason. There is one favorable point for Airvoice that H2O, Cricket, and nearly every other prepaid provider doesn't have: data tethering is not against Airvoice's terms of service. It is, however, against the terms and can result in termination with H2O, Cricket, and pretty much every other MVNO but maybe Page Plus, Consumer Cellular and Ting (those last two being postpaid options), or outfits that charge a premium for the tethering option, like Virgin. It's not a huge gimme, but I think it's a fair trade at the price points for a mobile data usage option that doesn't particularly exist outside of postpaid plans.

Interesting. But how do they enforce this? I had my old galaxy nexus on AT&T a while a tethered a few times without problems. Even though it's against the TOS. Since it was bought directly from google there was no AT&T "spyware" to prevent me from tethering, and they didn't seem to notice. If I used 3GB in a few days maybe they would, but then I'm over my 500MB limit anyway.

I'm not sure if my current moto G will report tethering to the carrier somehow (?), but I don't think so. If they do I'm sure I can load Cyanogenmod and get around it. And last time I tethered was over a year ago so not sure I need it.. But thanks for the heads up!

Just placed an order with H2O! They also say there's a 10% discount for auto-recharge > $27/month!

Technically, tethering can be detected in the type of traffic data and requests. Remember, all data's going through a network proxy. Stuff like browser user agents give it away, and AT&T has a history of being able to pick up on this stuff. I know light tethering usually won't get anyone in trouble, but if it's a needed service for someone, it's best not to violate the terms just to ensure you can keep your service uninterrupted and won't lose your number.

Always glad to be of help!



You know, I haven't even addressed the OP yet!

I do need a new phone however because my iphone 4 is cracked and barely half-works.

I am curious, does it only half work because of the cracked screen, or does it display symptoms of actual hardware damage/failure? It might be worth it to find out, because cracked screens can be replaced (even on iPhones) for less than what it might cost for a new phone. A lot of times, a slow iPhone is just a need for a factory reset, data reload, and a clearing out of history, cache and cookies in the Safari browser. Don't discount code bloat in iOS, but don't discount bloated metadata either.

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Re: Want to try Republic Wireless, but I'm addicted to FaceTime. Advice?
« Reply #19 on: August 08, 2014, 01:56:41 PM »
I do need a new phone however because my iphone 4 is cracked and barely half-works.

I am curious, does it only half work because of the cracked screen, or does it display symptoms of actual hardware damage/failure? It might be worth it to find out, because cracked screens can be replaced (even on iPhones) for less than what it might cost for a new phone. A lot of times, a slow iPhone is just a need for a factory reset, data reload, and a clearing out of history, cache and cookies in the Safari browser. Don't discount code bloat in iOS, but don't discount bloated metadata either.

This is a really good point.  I've replaced several cracked screens for just a few dollars in parts (there's a different part for the actual display vs. the glass, but neither is expensive on Amazon).  Plus, while you're in there you can pop in a new battery and restore most of the original battery life!
« Last Edit: August 10, 2014, 03:55:08 PM by beltim »

wild wendella

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Re: Want to try Republic Wireless, but I'm addicted to FaceTime. Advice?
« Reply #20 on: August 10, 2014, 03:52:48 PM »
Thanks everyone for your posts!  My current iPhone 4 is half working because of a) a cracked screen that has also f'd up the front camera, b) the main button sticks and sometimes I have to push it hard 15 times to get it to respond, c) sometimes other people can't hear me for calls.  This happens both when I call and when they call.  Sometimes it starts out ok but they can't hear me a few mins in.  It's maddening, and a ridiculous waste of money.  These three problems developed independently of each other, so I don't think fixing the cracked screen will solve the other two, unfortunately.

I'll test out how Google's video chat works with my parents' iPad to see if that's a viable option.  I've been using my husband's undamaged iPhone to FaceTime with them since my screen cracked.  Once when I was away on business, I FaceTimed with my son (my iPhone to my husband's) and so it seems to me to be more convenient if you're using the phone as double duty, rather than keeping a separate i something piece of electronics around just to FaceTime.  Because then you have to bring that second iGadget with you as well as your phone. 

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Re: Want to try Republic Wireless, but I'm addicted to FaceTime. Advice?
« Reply #21 on: August 10, 2014, 04:08:05 PM »
Thanks everyone for your posts!  My current iPhone 4 is half working because of a) a cracked screen that has also f'd up the front camera, b) the main button sticks and sometimes I have to push it hard 15 times to get it to respond, c) sometimes other people can't hear me for calls.  This happens both when I call and when they call.  Sometimes it starts out ok but they can't hear me a few mins in.  It's maddening, and a ridiculous waste of money.  These three problems developed independently of each other, so I don't think fixing the cracked screen will solve the other two, unfortunately.

A cracked screen and home button can be cheaply fixed. The microphone issue could either be an issue with the noise canceling mic, grounding issues, or the audio IC. Many people have reported sticking a bit of cardboard in to shim against the chipset will work, and are problems usually tied into dropping the device. Here's a good thread on the problem over at iFixit. These are still reasonably cheap repairs to do. Maybe $20-25 of parts off Amazon in total for everything.

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Re: Want to try Republic Wireless, but I'm addicted to FaceTime. Advice?
« Reply #22 on: August 10, 2014, 04:29:52 PM »
Earbuds with a mic make talking much nicer on the iPhone.  FaceTime audio is also great for calling whenever you have a wireless connection.  Its MUCH clearer than a normal cell connection.

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Re: Want to try Republic Wireless, but I'm addicted to FaceTime. Advice?
« Reply #23 on: August 10, 2014, 05:11:10 PM »
Going a little off topic but I'm just interested in texting and decent phone service

Can any suggest a phone with a full keyboard and carrier in the sub $25 range?

Daley

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Re: Want to try Republic Wireless, but I'm addicted to FaceTime. Advice?
« Reply #24 on: August 10, 2014, 05:19:21 PM »
Going a little off topic but I'm just interested in texting and decent phone service

Can any suggest a phone with a full keyboard and carrier in the sub $25 range?

Try the guide. Actual recommendations will depend on needed network coverage and usage levels. There's also plenty of cheap Qwerty GSM phones. That said, I know of T-Mobile MVNOs that do unlimited text plans for as little as $10/month.

If you have any additional questions, don't hesitate to ask.
« Last Edit: August 10, 2014, 05:22:19 PM by I.P. Daley »

Dodge

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Re: Want to try Republic Wireless, but I'm addicted to FaceTime. Advice?
« Reply #25 on: August 10, 2014, 05:25:16 PM »
I really would like to try Republic Wireless.  But my son facetimes with my parents and sister a few times a month, and that's invaluable to me.  Skype is garbage in comparison.  I do need a new phone however because my iphone 4 is cracked and barely half-works.  So I'm looking at buying an iphone 5 and going with the $40 or $50 a month plan from t-mobile.  Is that a stupid waste of money?  Can anyone offer me a better option or talk me out of it?  Is it irrational to choose a phone purely because of FaceTime?

How many people are on the plan with you?  I have 3 people on my Tmobile plan, unlimited talk, text, and data.  Data is 1GB of LTE, then throttled down (no overages).  Comes out to $30 a phone.  An important note, music streaming on services like Pandora, iHeartRadio, iTunes Radio, Spotify, and Rhapsody don't count against the LTE data.

They're running a special right now where if you do 4 lines on that same plan, it comes out to $25 per phone, and you get 2.5GB of LTE before throttled (reverts to 1GB in Jan of 2016).  I switched over all my AT&T lines over to Tmobile, and the phones were compatible.  I'd look into that.

Dodge

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Re: Want to try Republic Wireless, but I'm addicted to FaceTime. Advice?
« Reply #26 on: August 10, 2014, 06:00:13 PM »
Oh yea, I'm with you on the FaceTime thing.  I tried to get my Mom on to the Google Hangouts video chat thing after she switched away from the iPhone to an Android.  Not only is the quality (sharpness and framerate) noticeably worse, the app is too hard for her to figure out, so she never uses it.  This is after using FaceTime with me at least a few times a week on her iPhone.

It's definitely worth exploring your options here.

ooeei

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Re: Want to try Republic Wireless, but I'm addicted to FaceTime. Advice?
« Reply #27 on: September 08, 2017, 06:07:07 AM »
I have an iPhone SE I bought on eBay and use with Cricket wireless on their $35/2GB plan. No problems with any sort of compatibility stuff, although I haven't ever set up voicemail so you may want to look that up. I like the iPhone SE because it's not massive, and is pretty snappy.  It's about as close as you're going to get to the form factor of your iPhone 4 with a modern device.

I seem to remember I.P. doesn't like Cricket because it's owned by AT&T, so keep that in mind if that's important to you.

Rimu05

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Re: Want to try Republic Wireless, but I'm addicted to FaceTime. Advice?
« Reply #28 on: September 08, 2017, 06:32:09 AM »
Even an iPod touch would do Facetime.

Also, why buy a prepaid device that's locked to one carrier, and will never be able to be unlocked? Better off getting something unlocked so if you can get a better deal with another carrier, you can port the number and put a new SIM in :)

Being able to freely change is better than being held to ransom when one carrier decides to increase rates :)

Not sure if it's locked domestically, but I have travelled with my iphone and I was able to use a sim card abroad. Someone told me, all iphones now come unlocked. well, mine is.

Daley

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Re: Want to try Republic Wireless, but I'm addicted to FaceTime. Advice?
« Reply #29 on: September 08, 2017, 07:59:42 AM »
8-10 August 2014

This three year old thread was necroposted to by a spammer with a rubbish clickbait link.

Sometimes it's worth checking post dates before you reply.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!