Interesting. This month I got my first ever smartphone, and only because I found out about Republic Wireless and their $10/month plan with unlimited talk/text everywhere, but data on wifi only, using the awesome Moto X.
So now I can go for a walk/bike ride/drive and be off the grid for an hour or two, but I'm never far from a wifi network if I need it. I also save a lot of money each month.
Wow, I had heard of Republic Wireless but never really checked them out. I'm also a long-time "dumbphone" holdout but my Verizon Samsung candy-bar has about had it. Just recently its earpiece speaker failed so now I can only answer voice calls in speakerphone mode, which is often awkward. And I have recently been in a few situations where maps or navigation would have been a great convenience.
Republic's upcoming Moto G (April availability) looks ideal for me as a basic smartphone.
So now I can go for a walk/bike ride/drive and be off the grid for an hour or two, but I'm never far from a wifi network if I need it. I also save a lot of money each month.
To me, this is the best of both worlds.