OK, let's check out the FreedomPOP Android App since that is the basis for all the current advertised truly 'free' offerings.http://www.androidcentral.com/freedompop-offers-unlimited-access-its-wifi-net...FreedomPop offers unlimited access to its Wi-Fi network for $5 a month So, $5 after the intro period instead of really 'free". This is exactly what Republic Wireless offers as their lowest cost
Wifi ONLY access plan.
The only remaining price difference between FreedomPOP and Republic Wireless is the 500 meg of data which is worth ~$5.00 a month.
There is supposedly a speed difference, 3-G vs 4-G, advantage to FreedomPOP.
There is a phone cost difference, with a current generation refurbed FreedomPOP costing less than half what a used Ebay Republic Wireless phone costs.
But this comes across as a special short term deal, since dropped -- but apparently cheap phone offers do come up occasionally whenever they get too many phones in stock.BEWARE: FreedomPOP loves them little unannounced adder fees, like the .99 access fee
which is now an acknowledged formal fee. So your $5 just went down to $4 a month.
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Both Republic Wireless (the good guys) and FreedomPOP (the BS guys) will save you a killing TON of money compared to AT&T, Verizon. They will cut a Sprint or T-Mobile bill down by a third.
The difference between the two is your peace of mind and about $4-5 in raw cost at any given level of service.FreedomPOP is more desperate and is trying much much harder than Republic Wireless at this point in time. Republic Wireless is now acting more and more like Google Fi lite, which defines their offerings and their general pricing now.
As FreedomPOP struggles and flails around, they will occasionally drop a good price on stuff that lasts about a year. They are erratic in their billing practices, and require you to call in to protest any weird charges that you see showing up in your monthly bill.
Republic Wireless will act like a solid Google derived company, update your phone to the next Android version, etc. etc. Your monthly bill is what you agreed to, no monthly upsets when you see it.
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PAYBACK PERIOD, with me knowing more about it ......Better phone, 500 meg of data, faster data speed --- cost savings per month $4.00 going to FreedomPOP
Phone cost is $49.99 each
$49.99 / $4 = Payback period is 13 months based on what we know now.
I think I will try it out -- there is no substitute for ACTUALLY DOING IT.
I still like the free 500 meg of data and the better data speed, but I do realize this is a marginal cost improvement while still having to deal ongoing with a BS loving company.
RISK LEVEL ..... is that FreedomPOP will fold up or totally change their plans inside 13 months.