Raleigh, NC-based Republic Wireless declared its independence from Bandwidth a little less than a year ago, and the first year of independence can prove to be a make-it-or-break-it experiment for any company. With the Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL having been announced a day ago, Republic isn’t wasting any time working hard to secure the interests of Pixel 2 buyers.
The carrier has announced that, in the same way it brought the first-generation Pixels to its Bring Your Own Phone (BYOP) lineup last year, Republic is back to declare that the new Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are BYOP-compatible.
“From the beginning, our hallmark has been to use innovation to unlock value for members. That began with Wi-Fi calling, and today extends to the newest high-end Android smartphones on the market,”
 Republic Wireless Product and Marketing Senior Vice President Jon Schniepp.
Google’s Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are the best phones Google has unveiled yet, with IP67 water and dust resistance, super fast charging, their octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 SoCs, and 64GB of base storage – all arriving on the Pixel series for the first time.
The Pixel 2 retains the price and 5-inch display of the first-generation 5-incher, but the Pixel 2 XL brings a 6-inch POLED (plastic OLED) display with an 18:9 aspect ratio for $849 (64GB), with a $949, 128GB storage option for multimedia junkies. And now, you can have your very own Google Assistant-integrated Pixel Buds for $159 (none come in the box, and the headphone jack is absent).
The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL have been given the highest rear camera rating (score of 98) by photography expert DxOMark, putting them at the top of mobile photography currently available on the market. While it goes without saying, both Pixel 2 phones arrive with Android 8.0 Oreo pre-installed and have the promise of the fastest updates and security patches given on the Android platform.
Republic is known for its Wi-Fi Calling (what the carrier calls Bonded Calling) that allows users to rely more on Wi-Fi networks and conserve their data consumption when in places where local Wi-Fi is strongest.
In the last year alone, Republic has brought high-end Android-powered smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge, Lenovo Moto Z and Moto Z Play, and budget-friendly phones such as the Moto G4 Play, the Moto E4, and the Moto E4 Plus.
Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL buyers need only order a $5 SIM card from Republic to activate their phone on the BYOP program.
