Google Fi

[Sillbeer]

Greetings all.  I'm looking at dumping Verizon for a Google Fi account.  What is the best price on phones?  Do I need a referral or can I just sign up?

Thanks,

- Destin

[MarioMario]

Greetings all.  I'm looking at dumping Verizon for a Google Fi account.  What is the best price on phones?  Do I need a referral or can I just sign up?

Thanks,

- Destin

Nexus 5x is $200 with Fi i believe.  Great phone!

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

[Lski'stash]

You don't need a referral code, but I get $20 off my bill if you use mine, so here it is: 75W3VE

The phones on Google FI's website start around $200. I currently have a Nexus 6p. I love everything about it but the battery life.  The plan itself is awesome. I am currently signed up for the 2 gb plan, but I usually come in a little under, and I'll get the cash back on my next bill. It's very straightforward.

[MarioMario]

I also have the 6p and love it, obviously more pricey than the 5x.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

[JoJo]

I'm thinking about switching... have go smart but it is terrible lately and I've spent hours with their customer service trying to be able to log into their website.  how easy is it to switch over?

[Burqueno]

I'm thinking about switching... have go smart but it is terrible lately and I've spent hours with their customer service trying to be able to log into their website.  how easy is it to switch over?

Ridiculously easy.

[405programmer]

I've been on Project Fi for about 2.5 months and really like it. Call quality is great and coverage in Oklahoma is pretty great. Maybe not quite as consistent as Verizon but drastically cheaper. I have the 6P and really like the awesome camera. I think the 5X has the same great camera. If I could list any downsides to the service, calls take slightly longer to place but only an extra few seconds. Once the call connects it's excellent quality. It was super easy for me to bring my number over. Just make sure your current provider doesn't have a lock on your number (contract) and then enter you number in the self service portal when you order the phone and SIM.

Your number won't port until you run the activation after receiving the new phone. I really preferred that I could activate in the evening so I wouldn't miss a work call for the few minutes during activation where calls and texts could go to either.

[Heroes821]

Google Fi requires you to use 1 of 3 phone choices. I like the Nexus 5x, it's also the cheapest. 

Switching for me was very easy and you only commit to 30 days for the phone discount.  The issue that I had was that in my area I ran into zero open Wifi spots and in my smaller town the sprint/T-Mobile towers suck and I got dropped calls several times. I ended up not being able to stay with Google, but honestly the customer service was amazing and the entire process of getting a phone and moving over was very smooth. 

[Revelry]

Google Fi requires you to use 1 of 3 phone choices. I like the Nexus 5x, it's also the cheapest. 

etc.

This is not true that you are limited to 3 phones.  I have not done it but have read blogs and such of people using iPhones and Android phones on Google Fi.

[Heroes821]

Interesting, I used them from Feb 20th through Mar 20th 2017 and my choices were Nexus 5x, Nexus 6 something, and Google Pixel. They told me on the phone with support that other devices were not supported by them because part of the deal for their special network is the "smooth" transition from open wifi calls to cell networks which requires google's OS (android).

[Heroes821]

Google Fi requires you to use 1 of 3 phone choices. I like the Nexus 5x, it's also the cheapest. 

etc.

This is not true that you are limited to 3 phones.  I have not done it but have read blogs and such of people using iPhones and Android phones on Google Fi.

To clarify after a quick Google search.  The method of using another phone on the network still requires ACTIVATING your sim card for GoogleFi on the Nexus or pixel phones (that you need to purchase) then following the methods described.  Since Google has built this network with PRIVACY and SECURITY in mind by VPNing your data when connected to free and open wifi, I would strongly recommend as an IT security person that you do not try to make an Iphone work on Google FI.  Also without going through pages of the EULA myself they might have some language in there that would result in you violating the terms of service by using another device.

[Mgmny]

I've only ever had nexus smart phones (4, 5, 5x), but I do not see the draw to Fi. I have Tmobile and it is much cheaper than Fi and I have unlimited data, not $10/gig like you will be paying. What is the draw to Fi???

[MarioMario]

I've only ever had nexus smart phones (4, 5, 5x), but I do not see the draw to Fi. I have Tmobile and it is much cheaper than Fi and I have unlimited data, not $10/gig like you will be paying. What is the draw to Fi???

For some locations better service.  Not having to pay for data you don't need. 

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

[neo von retorch]

The Nexus 5x, 6, 6p and Pixel/XL are the five phones fully supported. (Not sure about the Nexus 5?) I have a Nexus 6 (~$200 on eBay, but big; the 6p is ~$300 on eBay but a little smaller and a much nicer camera.)

My monthly bill is usually ~$26, as I use between 50 and 200MB of data. The draw to Fi is the low cost (if you don't "need" unlimited data.) Also, I love using Hangouts on my computers for all my messaging, rather than actually pulling my phone out. I much prefer a full keyboard to anything on a phone (and I sit at a computer at my job.)

[omachi]

I've only ever had nexus smart phones (4, 5, 5x), but I do not see the draw to Fi. I have Tmobile and it is much cheaper than Fi and I have unlimited data, not $10/gig like you will be paying. What is the draw to Fi???

There's a number of reasons that Fi is awesome. Data is $10/GB everywhere. Traveling out of the country? $10/GB for fast 4G service. Tethering? $10/GB without a cap. Roaming? T-Mo caps roaming at 200 MB/month. Fi has no roaming cap or surcharge, just $10/GB.

Data is actually billed at $0.01/MB, so you're not really paying for a tier, just actual usage. If you go over your plan, still the same charge. If you go under, you get a credit. If you use a ton of cellular data consistently, like for some reason you stream 1080p YouTube all day long away from wi-fi, you would be better off with an unlimited plan elsewhere. If you don't, or you're in an area with good wi-fi coverage (Fi will connect to open hot spots automatically), you'll see a better price from Fi.

There are other little things. Voicemail transcription is free, which is a nice perk. Call or text from Google Hangouts on non-phone devices over the Internet. Automatic VPN encryption of traffic sent over open wi-fi.

[Mgmny]

Hmm with T-mobile my bill is around $30, but i'm on a family plan - 5 people pay about $150 for unlimited data, text, talk, international, etc etc. I use somewhere between 8-12 gigs a month though (hotspotting for my work pc eats quite a bit).

So wait, with Fi you are able to use desktop-version hangouts to send sms/mms??? Isn't android hangouts removing support for SMS in the very near future??

[neo von retorch]

Family plans can definitely change the price comparisons for some people.

Yes - but Google is not removing SMS capabilities for Fi users (at this time.) We suspect (hope?) they'll migrate the functionality to Google Voice and push Fi users to switch at some point.

[letired]

I've only ever had nexus smart phones (4, 5, 5x), but I do not see the draw to Fi. I have Tmobile and it is much cheaper than Fi and I have unlimited data, not $10/gig like you will be paying. What is the draw to Fi???

Out of curiosity, what T-Mobile plan are you on? I'm looking at switching providers, but even T-Mobile's pre-paid plans look more expensive than my current discount reseller plan. I'm at Net10, 2 lines, ~$95 for 5 gigs of data each, and I've downgraded to the 3 gigs each for ~$75.  I've been looking at Fi because I think I could get down to somewhere around $60 for the two lines since we don't use that much data, mostly. But I haven't seen anything else for near that cheap!

[neo von retorch]

A guide to Fi:

http://m.androidcentral.com/project-fi-buyers-guide

[Mgmny]

Out of curiosity, what T-Mobile plan are you on? I'm looking at switching providers, but even T-Mobile's pre-paid plans look more expensive than my current discount reseller plan. I'm at Net10, 2 lines, ~$95 for 5 gigs of data each, and I've downgraded to the 3 gigs each for ~$75.  I've been looking at Fi because I think I could get down to somewhere around $60 for the two lines since we don't use that much data, mostly. But I haven't seen anything else for near that cheap!

Just tried looking for you, and it doesn't look like it's being offered right now - we may have gotten grandfathered in (been tmobile customers for 18 years!), but we've had a handful of different plans with them. Right now, i believe the primary account is $50/month, then each additional line is $20 a month. At one point, they had a plan very recently that I looked into switching to but it was going to cost us like $5 more a month for everyone. It was like buy 2 lines get 2 lines or something like that (or buy 3 get 1?). IT looks like for 4 people right now with Tmobile it's $160, but I just checked and out bill is $190 for 5 people (but there is a $32 a month "device fee" for one of the lines who purchased a phone through the plan).

[letired]

Out of curiosity, what T-Mobile plan are you on? I'm looking at switching providers, but even T-Mobile's pre-paid plans look more expensive than my current discount reseller plan. I'm at Net10, 2 lines, ~$95 for 5 gigs of data each, and I've downgraded to the 3 gigs each for ~$75.  I've been looking at Fi because I think I could get down to somewhere around $60 for the two lines since we don't use that much data, mostly. But I haven't seen anything else for near that cheap!

Just tried looking for you, and it doesn't look like it's being offered right now - we may have gotten grandfathered in (been tmobile customers for 18 years!), but we've had a handful of different plans with them. Right now, i believe the primary account is $50/month, then each additional line is $20 a month. At one point, they had a plan very recently that I looked into switching to but it was going to cost us like $5 more a month for everyone. It was like buy 2 lines get 2 lines or something like that (or buy 3 get 1?). IT looks like for 4 people right now with Tmobile it's $160, but I just checked and out bill is $190 for 5 people (but there is a $32 a month "device fee" for one of the lines who purchased a phone through the plan).

Thanks for looking! It sounds like it gets cheaper per line the more lines you have. I'll have to keep my eye out, but it looks like Fi is still a strong contender at this point!

[dodojojo]

I'm with T-Mobile and pay about $55 monthly for 2gb.  I average about 250mb of data usage though so I really should stop being lazy and look into a cheaper plan.  I can't go to the 100 minute talk plan that T-Mobile has (or had?) for$30 because I use my phone for work calls.  Work doesn't pay for it as I'm not officially work from home.  My manager allows me to work from wherever I want just as long as I go into the office when needed.

I also want to leave T-Mobile because I dislike their coverage.  I used to be with Verizon and their coverage was much better though than TM's.  Problem with Verizon is cost. Based on data usage Project Fi sounds like a good match for me.  I also like their almost seamless international coverage.  The only hangup is that I'm not keen on any of the phones they offer.  Plus, I'd still partially have to rely on TM's coverage.

I just discovered MintSim--any experiences here?  Financially, they are a better deal than Project Fi and practically any GSM phone works with them.  The major downside is that I'd have to be 100% on TM's coverage with no roaming available.  I also can't find any info on international data coverage for them.  The site only provides info on calling and texting.

One major reason I've stuck with TM is that I hate dealing with phone issues and expect a certain level of customer service.  Therefore I'm a little circumspect with going with the non-major provider.  But if I can save $20-35 each month--it may be time to take the plunge.   

[Sillbeer]

Thanks for the replies everyone.  I had placed an order with a vendor for a new Nexus 6P on Amazon but the order was cancelled after 24 hours with Technical Reason as the response.  I can't find the vendor either.  The phone was priced at $270.  I had another phone similarly priced from another Amazon vendor in my basket and the vendor disappeared along with the phone in my basket.  I'm guessing they are phony/scam vendors and they are being deleted or blocked.

It looks like I'll probably just purchase a phone direct from the Google Project Fi page.  Undecided at this point on which phone to get but may get the 5x based on price point.  I don't need anything fancy and I don't use my phone to stream video or play games.  I just want something with reliable navigation that can stream Pandora.  I do like the aluminum design of the 6p over the plastic 5x.

[Padonak]

I've been a google FI customer for about a year. I use wifi at home and at work, so I don't need a lot of data. I signed up for 1 gigabyte per month and use less than that most of the time, so around $30 per month for me including taxes and fees.

Connection is good most of the time. I live in a big city, so this may play a role. Still, for example, without wifi at work, I'd be struggling to connect to the cellular network on a high floor.

International roaming is awesome. If I travel for a few days, I don't bother buying a local sim card. If it's a longer trip, I'll buy a sim card to have a local number, but still, it's nice to be able to connect at the airport and get an uber/use a map even before you get a local card if you need one.

My biggest problem with Project Fi is limited selection of phones: Nexus 6, new nexus 5X and 6P and Pixel, that's it. Not bad phones, but there are better Android phones on the market when it comes to value for money. If I break my Nexus 6, I don't know what I'm going to do. I'm too frugal to buy an overpriced Pixel. 5X and 6P are already kind of out of date, not the best value for money, not good battery life as far as I know. If Google doesn't start offering affordable new phones, I'm going to switch at some point.

[neo von retorch]

Thanks for the replies everyone.  I had placed an order with a vendor for a new Nexus 6P on Amazon but the order was cancelled after 24 hours with Technical Reason as the response.  I can't find the vendor either.  The phone was priced at $270.  I had another phone similarly priced from another Amazon vendor in my basket and the vendor disappeared along with the phone in my basket.  I'm guessing they are phony/scam vendors and they are being deleted or blocked.

Did you see if the vendor had a history of positive ratings? I'd never order from a new vendor, or one with just a handful of ratings (unless they had a notable web presence elsewhere to back them up.)

Depending on the price difference... (looks like $399 from Google), I'd still maybe consider eBay, but it looks like you have to hit $300-325 before the phones are "relatively unblemished." -- i.e. you could save a few bucks if you ignore cosmetic issues, and you can cover those with a case. But it's not a smashing deal.

[RelaxedGal]

I've been on Fi with a Nexus 5x for a year, my husband for a year and a half.  Picture quality of the phone is excellent.  I like that updates come monthly, and don't have to wait for Sprint or whoever to add their own touches.  "Family" plans were added not too long ago, which brought our total household bill down.

I have had a couple of dropped call/audio problems when the phone switched from cellular to Wifi. Someone else mentioned that it takes an extra couple of seconds to hear ringing when you place a call. 

Overall I'm really happy with it.

[historienne]

Google FI is great if you use limited data.  If you have comcast xfinity highspeed service, you can access a hotspot almost everywhere these days --I find I rarely use data here in Seattle.   A second FI line is only $15 base charge, so multiple users with limited data can get by pretty cheap.

Also, the international coverage at those same rates is AMAZING!   I was able to use my phone in China and Mongolia, no problem after an initial setting tweak.   

Depending on how much you need reliable phone service, a second line can be even cheaper.  You can get a free second SIM that is data-only.  I ordered one (connected to my husband's Fi account) and put it into a Pixel to use it as my main phone.  I send/receive calls and texts using Hangouts.  I only pay for data, which is usually around $10/month.  I spend most of my time at home or at my office, and use the wifi in both places.

[spicykissa]

Love, love, love Google Fi! My husband still pays $80/month for Verizon, while I pay $30/month for Fi, and we use our phones in essentially the same ways (wifi at home and work). He prefers his iPhone 5 to my shiny new Pixel, though. I won't break even until October, only because I bought the fancier phone.

I especially like that I'm only charged for the data I actually use.