I just started my phone service with Google.. anyone else have it? If so, how's the service? It's a combination of sprint, t mobile and free wifi.. individually they aren't great but I figure together, it must be pretty good coverage. The phone automatically finds free (strong) wifi signals in order to minimize your data usage.. pretty cool. I got the nexus 5x 32g phone... so far so good. Plan is $20 a month plus $10 for each 1gb of data. I rarely use more than 2gb per month so at most my monthly bill will be $40. And you're refunded for any unused data.
OT: Google Fi
- Thread starter RutgersSam
- Start date
Don't most phones find available Wi-Fi ... then mostly you have to sign in with a password you probably don't have. What's different there?
This phone finds free wifi signals, like Google's own free network, Sprint/T mobile LTE hotspots, any other free password-less signals in your area or any network you may be a part of (like the million plus Optimum WiFi hotspots for instance) and automatically connects to them without you even knowing it. Its seemless and is a unique feature of these particular phones Google uses. From Google Fi's website:
There are lots of Wi-Fi hotspots out there but not all of them are high-quality. Project Fi automatically connects you to more than a million free, open Wi-Fi hotspots we've verified as fast and reliable. This technology helps keep your speed high and your data bill low—whenever you're on Wi-Fi, you're not charged for data usage.
Will they port your existing cell number over to the new service? Optimum partitions existing customer WiFi service (like mine) and offers that as part of their Million Plus WiFi Hotspots. I guess if you're not a mobile device addict - and so many people are - the uncertain speed is not a deal-killer. Doesn't having to constantly search for a WiFi signal kill your battery though?
Great pricing especially if you travel alot. I wanted to jump on the recent deal that included a 5X for only $200 but it seems like they are geared to individuals right now and I have a family plan.
I have the Nexus 6p and will switching next month when my Verizon contract ends. Please remember it only works with a few phones , the Nexus line and one other. As for the the phones they are having a sale price if you get the service and I love my 6p.
They will port your number and they send you a new sim card that has the capability to handle multiple networks. If you do a lot of overseas travel the plans is really awesome also. Make sure you can cancel your existing plan without a fee before you port your number!
Reading the reviews it seems the wifi capability really reduces the charged data usage so you do not need as much as you use today. I love the idea of no longer being tied to one of the large carriers and all of their crazy bills and always changing plans. Fi is $20 plus $10 per mg. Nice thing is they will credit you if you go under and only charge you for what you use if you go over.
They will port your number and they send you a new sim card that has the capability to handle multiple networks. If you do a lot of overseas travel the plans is really awesome also. Make sure you can cancel your existing plan without a fee before you port your number!
Reading the reviews it seems the wifi capability really reduces the charged data usage so you do not need as much as you use today. I love the idea of no longer being tied to one of the large carriers and all of their crazy bills and always changing plans. Fi is $20 plus $10 per mg. Nice thing is they will credit you if you go under and only charge you for what you use if you go over.
Unfortunately not available on all Nexus devices. Just Nexus 6 and newer (6, 5X, 6P).
I switched from Republic Wireless (similar wifi first deal) to Google Fi about 6 months ago. I am not a high traffic user.. and both worked fine for me. RW was a little cheaper, but they seem to have real trouble keeping their phones on the latest android. And they seemed to have no intention of supporting premium models. So I switched to Google fi because I wanted the Nexus 6p. I needed the camera and wanted the unadulterated google experience (don't like samsung's interfaces).
With so little use of data on the road,I am essentially paying $40 for 2GB, plus $5/month for a warranty, the fed fees and taxes is just under $5 a month. I usually get close to the full $20 for 2GB back. I did pay a pretty penny for the 128GB 6p up front. But the service generally comes to under $30 a month for me, all-in. I think I was paying about half that for the RW deal with an original 16GB Moto X... which had just been updated to lollipop as I left the service. If I use all my 2GB data, my fee would be just under $50... and it is $10 a GB above that. if I go over.
It comes with hotspot ability (your phone can become a hotspot for your other devices) and the device using your hotspot uses your data at that same $10/GB rate. And it also will use your Google Voice number (or get you a google voice number), which allow you to have calls ring on all your phones. I have an old (prepaid too long) MagicJack number hooked up to a 3-phone wireless unit in the house. So my cell rings while it is on the charger and I am in the basement.. I can answer. Another nice thing about google voice numbers (which every google fi number is).. is that it transcribes voicemail for you and texts it to you along with a link to hear the voicemail. great feature for callers who speak clearly.
Bottom line: I got exactly what I expected.. the full google experience without any carrier's BS apps.
Ah .. Okay. Thanks for the explanation. Sounds like it should be nice to use in NJ/NY.
Google voice blows anything apple has out of the water but since so many people have iPhones they dont even know it exists. You can get a real phone number that can make/receive calls or texts from any device or even a desktop. I can be anywhere in the world and as long as I have an internet connection I can receive calls on my 212 phone number. Im not restricted to just calling or messaging with an iOS device. Its especially good for business purposes.
Want to know another cool, but odd, thing about Google Fi? They send me presents.
For no reason whatsoever, I get this package in the mail near xmas.. came with a cable so you can turn these legos into a phone holder/charge station or.. I forget what the other "build" was.
If people aren't using much data then Ting service is cheap and has good reviews.
http://frugalcaller.com/ting-reviews/
Want to know another cool, but odd, thing about Google Fi? They send me presents.
For no reason whatsoever, I get this package in the mail near xmas.. came with a cable so you can turn these legos into a phone holder/charge station or.. I forget what the other "build" was.
Or you could get one at walmart for $10 without having to rely on this trust "durable lego" finish... Just more junk to take up space...
+1
Been using Ting for 2+ yrs. Uses the Spring network for CDMA phones & t-Mobile for GSM phones, with free voice/txt roaming on Verizon so you're covered through most of the nation. With 4 smartphone lines, I usually average $65/mth. Sometimes it got to $80 when we use too much data or voice, but it's rare. It helps to have Optimum wifi as well to cut down data usage, but I haven't had any complaints.
How long did it take you to get the porting done? I'm porting my google voice number into fi and they said it'll take about a week to two weeks... is that normal??
Out of about 100 calls, I've had 2 dropped so far, and that was when I was about an hour into the call. Id say that the service is great for the price (I usually average about $30/month)
Thanks!
Did you also have to wait a while for the porting to go through? I'm trying to port my google voice number.
I didn't port so unfortunately I can't speak on it. But customer service is pretty good.
I had a Verizon number . When you are signing up they have a form for you to fill out they then ship out the sim card I plugged it in and within 2 minutes everything was working.
I've had it for more than a year, now. Deployed for the Beta in San Francisco. It's good. Not great. It makes you wonder what you're paying for, since most of my connections are made over WiFi anyway, and Hangouts or Google Voice will place calls via WiFi. Since I'm paying close to $60/month for xfinity internet access, my data -- all in -- is still costing me > $100/month.
In a city like San Francisco, it's not a bad package because of the overwhelming number of hotspots and quality of LTE network infrastructure, but I still feel like I'm paying too much for data/phone.
From Gizmodo: Why I'll Probably Ditch My Carrier For Google's Project Fi
and: My Time With Google's Cellular Service Was Mostly a Disaster
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... and THIS. Their customer service is the absolute best I've ever had, from any vendor in my entire life. Hopefully some other Project Fi users can speak to this as well, but I've been astonished by the lack of bullshit from their service reps.
One other important thing to consider:
I run a handyman business in San Francisco, and I had my T-Mobile number as my personal number, along with a Google Voice number for the business. Haven't had a landline since 2000. When I ported my T-Mobile number over to Project Fi, I lost access to the Google Voice number on my new mobile device -- Project Fi will not allow you to use your mobile device with Google Voice numbers (in much the same way that you can't forward one Google Voice number to another).
The only way I can make or receive calls from my "business number" is from Google Hangouts on my desktop. I can, however, receive and check voicemails from customers on the Hangouts or Messenger app on my mobile device.
So, if you use a Google Voice number as an alternate number on your current mobile device, you'll lose that functionality when you migrate to Project Fi, but you'll be able to keep the number associated with a Google Account in Voice or Hangouts.
-- just make sure that if you're porting a number from a mobile carrier to Project Fi that you don't have your Google Voice number associated with that Google Account, or you'll lose that number in favor of your ported number.
My employer pays my Verizon mobile bill. Unlimited voice and data, for free.
I recommend this plan for anyone who is able.
I recommend this plan for anyone who is able.
BTW.. I had a nice "premium" Magicjack number. It is a feature when you get your magicjack number that you can pay $10 a year and search and find exactly the number you want, if it is available.
When I went to google fi, I ported THAT number to Google fi. So now my "premium" number is my cell number. I paid $30 to port it out.. but don't have to pay that $10 a year.. and its mine. Maybe you want an easy to remember number so you can tell people the number or maybe you want a number that spells something.. this might be a way to do it cheaply.
When I went to google fi, I ported THAT number to Google fi. So now my "premium" number is my cell number. I paid $30 to port it out.. but don't have to pay that $10 a year.. and its mine. Maybe you want an easy to remember number so you can tell people the number or maybe you want a number that spells something.. this might be a way to do it cheaply.
