Dirt cheap cellular provider Republic Wireless plans to offer the Moto X this week for $299, with monthly plans starting at $5 a month.
The addition of the phone, which had been expected for some time, marks the first time Republic is offering a full-function smartphone. For $5 a month, users get voice calling over Wi-Fi; $10 a month includes talk and texting. A $25 plan offers 3G data speeds over Sprint's network, while $40 provides 4G speeds. A rep for the Republic said the phone will be available as early as Wednesday.
[seealso slug="t-mobile-cheap-phones"]
By contrast, AT&T is requiring a two-year plan starting at $70 a month for the Moto X. Sprint's plan starts at $50, which includes talk and texting, but no data. Verizon and T-Mobile don't offer the phone yet.
The offer comes as major carriers recently cut the price on the Moto X to $99 from $199 with a contract. Republic's plan comes sans contract and costs $179 less than it would if purchased directly through Motorola without a contract. However, the phone only runs with Republic, so you can't take it somewhere else.
The Raleigh, N.C., company is able to offer low prices by capitalizing on the ubiquity of Wi-Fi. Wherever possible, the carrier's handsets find and join Wi-Fi networks.