When I find a product or company that I love I’m all about representing it. If someone asks for my advice, I tell them. When my partner’s brother and wife asked about our cheap phone plans I recommended Republic Wireless. However, apparently there is a large difference in service that we receive in the middle of a metropolis and that they receive in their 2,000 person rural town. I was sad to learn that they had infinite problems with the service and later their phones. In the end they moved and I feel like I failed them :(. However, I now have an additional data point to add to my recommendation. They might be my only friends that live in a rural area, but it’s good to know the limitations of companies I recommend.
Anyway, as a result of this debacle they have moved to Cricket Wireless and are using iPhones again. They have no use for the new phones Republic Wireless sent them and wanted to give them to us. I first suggested that they sell them – they’re being sold on Republic Wireless for $199 with a current discount to $179. They offered them to us for $15. We upsold them to $30 because that seemed slightly more fair. They included their cases for free (though I doubt I’ll use mine. It’s pink and I hate pink – possibly as a result of being put in it all my childhood because it’s a “girl” color. Interestingly pink used to be worn by little boys and blue by girls. And now everyone says “pink is a girl color.”
I was actually called “sir” at the airport the other day and didn’t even bat an eye…But I digress).
So I bought a $179 phone and $30 case for $30 total. Not bad. The only down side is this new phone is tied to Republic Wireless’ new phone plans which do not refund you for data you don’t use so my bill will go from $17.50-refund (usually $3-4) to $20+taxes. I ran the numbers and was becoming increasingly frustrated by my slowing down and glitchy phone that I decided to jump in – not even remembering that my job pays me $50 for my phone. Still in profit! I was originally planning to stick it out with my current phone (glitches and all) for 4-5 years until I retire and get Google Fi for my international travels. Luckily that won’t have to happen now.
As I set up my new phone something strange happened: I got that excited, new gadget feeling. I haven’t felt that in a long time. As I’ve written before, I used to get inexplicably excited about new technology. I’d watch a million videos and feel my heart rate increase just thinking about buying it. This happened with new iPhones, computers and even video games. I thought I had squashed that feeling, but apparently I’d just suppressed it. The feeling as made sweeter by knowing I’d gotten such a good deal on the phone. I’d previously made fun of these ‘phablets’ or phones that are large enough to be tablets and now I have one of them. My Moto G4 is the size of an iPhone 7 Plus. I would have preferred a smaller phone, but I’m starting to see the benefits even though it will never fit in any of my pockets. It makes the need for a computer smaller when I can see posts and photos large enough for the medium not to matter. It’s pretty cool.
So that new gadget feeling is still there – just suppressed. I’m planning for this to be my last new gadget purchase until I retire so I’ll try to hold onto this feeling since I won’t have it again. At that time hopefully I can sell the phone and case for a profit (which shouldn’t be difficult). Success all around.