Which phones does it work with? How much does it cost? How do you sign up? We’ve got you covered.
One of the big selling points of this device is actually its lower price point, which sits at $399. Of course, if you do have extra cash on hand, you should probably start saving now for the Google Pixel 2 and Google Pixel 2 XL.
Google has its hands in a lot of pots, and depending on which phone you use, you may not have known that the search company has also been operating its very own wireless service since 2015.
Google’s Project Fi mobile virtual network operates on the back of Sprint, T-Mobile, and now U. S. Cellular’s LTE networks.
You probably have a lot of questions about it and as a customer of Fi myself, I’ll do my best to answer them.
Project Fi is the name of Google’s network that offers mobile data directly to users, much like every other carrier that’s available to choose between.
Of its innovative aspects, the most eye-opening of Project Fi is its pricing: Google is charging $20 flat per month for talk, text, Wi-Fi tethering, and international coverage in 135+ countries, with each gigabyte of data costing $10 on top of the bill.
To give an example, a plan with 3GB of data costs $50 (plus tax) per month. However, if you don’t use all that data, Google will only charge you for what you used. So if you only used 1.4 of your 3GB, Google says, you’ll pay $16 less than you had originally set out to. The same goes for if you use more than you expected.
Adding people to your plan is simple and affordable. In fact, you save a little money per head that you add. Instead of $20 flat, it’s $15 plus $10 per GB.
Being a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) means Google essentially licenses network infrastructure from other carriers. There are other companies that do this, like Straight Talk, which TechRadar has explored in-depth. Straight Talk offers customers phone plans that work off of other carriers’ networks.
Google is doing the same here with Project Fi, making itself the middleman between customers and carriers. So although your phone will bounce between T-Mobile, Sprint and U. S. Cellular LTE services, you’ll only ever have to deal with Google when it comes to support and billing.
The company says your device will automatically hop among the available networks and Wi-Fi hotspots depending on which has the best connection. Google counts over a million free, open (and growing) Wi-Fi hotspots in the US as part of its network.
When you’re connected to Wi-Fi networks, Google encryption keeps you secure, the company says. And you’ll transition seamlessly between Wi-Fi and LTE, even in the middle of a call.
