[General Questions and Answers] cadamsfour:
Using Moto X on RW for 30 days and love it!

Being a newby here, I can't provide a link to my original post, so here's the response cross-posted. :)

In short. I dig it. Cheap phone, well equipped (no, not the best or fastest, but hits my sweet spot; ok, no jokes...), and WiFi access is fine.

Pros

- convenience (dirt simple; if you can post to this site, you can manage your phones)

- cost/TCO (half the cost of VZW)

- quality of handset

- no contract

- service extends between US and Canada (calls from Canada to US included; WiFi use encouraged, but not required)

[Update: service was confirmed during a 6 day trip to Ontario, where we had no difficulty calling each other and others using RW phones while roaming, all included in the flat monthly rate. We only lacked the data, voice and SMS were fine; we had no trouble finding WiFi for email, etc.]

Cons

- Sprint network is not the best (but works well in my area; ymmv)

- can't auto-dial a conf call number (can dial 800-numbers, but can't pass a second string automagically; I have to remember the code and enter after the call connects; for me, a small trade-off for cheap service)

- phones have custom ROM to handle hybrid WiFi/Cell calls, so they can't be used on another network.

If you have questions, please ask. I do NOT work for RW... I was a very loyal VZW customer (great network, great service, but expensive)

If you want $19 discount on first month, use my discount code at referrals dot republicwireless dot com /a/clk/1x9d7h

My Experience

Call quality has been great during our first month of ownership. WiFi and 3G calls are great, with only a few moments of "clipped" speech on two separate calls. I believe that has more to do with my WiFi network than anything else. Not bad considering the many hours of use the Moto X has been getting. According to the RW site, I've "offloaded" about 25% of my calls to WiFi this month, which allows them to lower costs.

[Updated: I did confirm that my router/ap setup impacted calls and I've tweaked things for perfect results, now]

Setting up the phone was a simple, guided process. You are assigned a phone number, based on your billing address, and there's a web form for porting an existing number to the new device. Note: Google Voice numbers can't be ported to the phone, but you can still use the GV app on the phone, and can even force the phone to only dial out as GV. Number porting was done in 2 days and I noticed I lost access to my VZW online account. I figured this would happen and grabbed anything of value from the site before initiating the port requests.

Based on prior comments, here are a few corrections. Google Voice works just fine on the Moto X, including visual voicemail and transcription of messages into text (very convenient). LastPass integration is awesome... and don't forget your YubiKey NEO for two-factor authentication. VPN connections are supported, which reduce exposure while on public WiFi. Google integration is excellent and setup is easy. I have some concerns about Motorola capturing data and sending through their servers, but lack the skills to cut them off -- search for Motorola Is Listening and you'll get the story.

NAS/Cloud

If you have not checked out Synology, do yourself a favor... the absolute best NAS out there. Their software is amazing and it permits use of Android Apps to get at Music, Videos, Files, and downloads. To cut it short... their apps are my personal cloud. Paired with cheap 3G/4G, you can't beat the convenience and security of knowing you're activity is not being monitored for later resale in the form of promotions suited to your tastes.

Total Cost of Ownership

Even with a 22% corporate discount, my wife and I spent $7,000 with VZW over 5 years for voice/text (no data) in US and Canada... that's about $115/mo * 12 * 5 years. I don't know about you, but that's more than I spent for my desktop, laptop, and Comcast bill. Pricing is not in line with reality... same as the $250/MB text plans of yesteryear.

The new plan ($25/mo for 3G talk/text/data) will cost $600/year for two lines. Yes, we have to purchase phones, but the 5-year TCO will be $3,600 ($50 * 12 * 5, plus $600 for phones)

By the way, did I say I'm excited about this phone/plan... eeeegad, it's awesome!

Bye bye LG VX9200 (Env3)... you served us well. sniff. sniff.