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View Full Version : Any Android users using Google's Project Fi?



Harold Mansfield
03-11-2016, 10:29 AM
Google just opened up Fi to everyone and I'm pretty much gushing over it and plan on moving.

For those who haven't heard of it, Google Fi is mobile phone service from Google. It uses T-Mobile, Sprint Networks and works with wifi calling. That means it switches seamlessly between which ever is best based on your location and signal. Of course you have to have a Google Nexus phone.
https://fi.google.com/about/

I'm already heavily into the Google infrastructure and use a crap load of products and services from them for both business and personal.

Cost wise it runs about $20 mo. for unlimited talk, text. And you pay for data as needed, which is about $10 per GB. Currently I use way under a GB of data a month. There's other extras like no charge to use phone as hot spot, rebates on data you don't use, no contracts, unlocked phones that work anywhere in the world and so on.

I love Android, but my main beefs with how the system between device makers and service providers work are:



It takes too long to get an update. By the time the device maker and your carrier both put their crap ware on it, it's months later. And they are not getting any faster.
Too many phones get left behind and don't get updated. (I've been screwed by both Motorola and Samsung on this)
Phones cost too much to have bloatware (ads) forced on you. Why are they still installing apps that I don't want (and can't get rid of) on my $700 phone in 2016? I don't want my carrier suggesting apps. They suck at it. It's like having my Mom suggest music.
Feature phones are pretty much just adding more cosmetics. Functions other than camera are pretty much the same and I don't really care about camera. They're all good.
The cost of service and the nickle and diming is out of control.
The big 3 service providers are playing too many games with data, and speeds.
Contracts, locked phones, and charging you to take your number with you.


I've had mobile phones since the old bricks, moved on to the Motorola Star Tac, had Blackberries, Palms, you name it.
We never had many options before. Now we do and the phone companies now seem archaic in what they offer and how they operate.

A couple of months ago I purchased another Nexus 7 tablet ( because it's my favorite tablet of all time). This model was made in 2013. As soon as I pulled it out of the box and tuned it on, it started prompting me to update until it went all the way to the latest version of Android Marshmallow. No BS. No carrier crap between it. It just works.

This is how it should work for EVERYTHING! And this is the benefit of using Google's products. Stock Android. Stock Google. No bullsh*t.

So my mind is pretty much made up, and everything I've read about it says the service is great.

But I'm curious if anyone here is using it and what they think about the service.

KristineS
03-11-2016, 02:04 PM
I've not heard of this, and don't have a Google Nexus phone, but it sounds interesting. If you do decide to use it, Harold, I'll be interested to hear what you think. Definitely sounds like it could be useful.

Harold Mansfield
03-25-2016, 12:04 AM
Signed up for Fi today. New phone is on the way. I'll keep you posted.

romels33
03-25-2016, 12:43 PM
I've heard of this just recently but didn't pay much attention to it as I was busy writing code at the time when I got the news. It sounds interesting and promising indeed. I like Android as well, but also have a problem with the carrier's crap that you just mentioned above. I am currently with Verizon and since now I know more about this service, I may just drop Verizon all together and go with this one since my contract is almost up anyways. The extra of "no charge to use phone as hot spot" is a big one, because I use my phone more as a hot spot than a phone.... =) Thanks for the info.

Harold Mansfield
03-31-2016, 02:42 PM
Just got the phone. Took a whole 2 minutes to activate. No line charge. No activation fee. Just insert the SIM follow the prompts and it's ready.

It's still new but a few things that I already like.
First of all, Google Voice, and Hangouts all makes sense now that it all works together. As a matter of fact I'm using of my my Google Voice numbers as my phone number.

I like that I can answer and call from any device, Desktop, Laptop, Tablet.
I like that I can set different outgoing voicemail messages for each category of my contacts.

The phone itself is not bad. Feels good and the finger print unlock is awesome. Works flawlessly.
I got the 16GB version since this it was in special and this is both a test and I wanted to use this line strictly as a business line.
Should I decide to leave Sprint altogether and take my number over to Fi I'll likely get the larger phone with the largest memory.

So far, I'm impressed.

I'll be out and about this weekend to test the call quality and coverage.

Harold Mansfield
03-31-2016, 10:31 PM
Had some issues porting my number. Fi customer service is pretty awesome. Very helpful, pleasant, and patient.
This is all so much easier and relaxing than what I'm use to. A very nice experience so far.

Went out for a bit, made a couple of calls. As clear and strong as expected. It even switched from wifi to 4GLTE mid call and I never noticed.
The Fi app is nice. Very simple. Tracks your account, data usage, and so on, and then simple support options via chat, email or phone.

I can say enough about the simplicity of everything. No BS. No strange charges, fees, penalties and all of the other ways that you get nickle and dimed by the major carriers.

As I mentioned above data runs about $1 per 100mbs, so $10 a gig. Pay as you go a month in advance.
If I use 2G's this month ( 1G over my chosen data) I merely pay an extra $10 next month. If I only go over 200mbs, I pay an extra $2. If I pay for 3G's and only use 1.3G's, they credit my next bill $17.

So all said between the special pricing on the phone, and the first month of service and I got the insurance ($5 mo.), about $245 total, and my bill really is around $30 mo. (actually it was $32.50) with unlimited talk, text, 1G data, and the service and rates are the same across 120 countries (unlimited texting internationally). So you can definitely use it to travel internationally and don't need to get a special sim card and pay outrageous rates. And don't forget you have Hangouts too for video chat.

The service and default tools and communications, social, and business infrastructure that Google already has makes this far superior than any other service, at least for me.

By the way, you can also get a data only plan/sim card for your tablet or other mobile device. Same rates.

I'm already hooked. Google knocked this out of the park.

Harold Mansfield
04-03-2016, 01:38 PM
So here are a few drawbacks that may not make it a good fit for everyone.

First of all it only works with Nexus phones. The 5x (LG), 6 (Motorola), and 6P (Huawei). All solid phones with good reviews, but if you're married to your phone or brand it will probably be a while and whatever phones are added will have to work on all networks, and be able to switch back and forth to wifi calling, and be running the latest version of Android at all times. Since carriers and manufacturers suck with updates, I don't expect there to be a huge catalog of compatible "non-Google" phones and probably never iPhone..but who knows?

If you're a heavy data user I can see how $10 a gig can get pricey. I am not. I'm on WiFi most of the time, and even when I'm out and about I don't use a lot of data. I average about 200 mbps per month just with normal use. So $30 a mo. compared to the $75+ mo. I've been paying is a no brainer for me.

Fi switches between WiFi, T-Mobile and Sprint networks. That means it actively connects to wifi that Google has determined is safe (or signals that you've indicated are trusted) and it has a database of thousands of safe open wifi areas not just here but around the world. It chooses which to use by which signal is the strongest. That may bother some people, but I'm good with it. By default your Nexus phone is encrypted and runs thorough a Google VPN.

Right now there are no family or multiple line plans. So it's one phone per gmail address. I think you CAN have 1 phone and 1 data sim on the same account.

Also, Nexus phones are USB-C, not mini USB. They come with one cord/charger and it's USB-C to USB-C. So unless you already have USB-C devices, you'll probably want to stock up on extra cords, at least one USB-C to regular USB, car chargers and so on. They're pretty cheap.

Other than that, it works just like any other phone.

Harold Mansfield
04-06-2016, 11:40 AM
Almost a week in, and still no problems. Works great and the LG 5X is really growing on me. It's a nice little phone. I say little because the screen is 5.2 inches instead of the 5.7 that I've been using for over a year, but it's perfect for one handed operation.

Also, nothing like running the latest version of Android and getting the monthly security updates on the day they are released. Not when Samsung and Sprint get around to it. That alone is worth far more than money. It's peace of mind and what you expect when you pay for a device and service from the same company.

Harold Mansfield
04-09-2016, 12:42 PM
So I went on my long time (18 years) service provider's website to see what I could get my bill down to for the last few months that I'm there. I never look at the bill unless I'm trying to change something. I do notice that it fluctuates $2-$7 every month, even though my usage is exactly the same.

It now looks pretty ridiculous. Casual data? Access charges? I even found a $2.49 charge for 5 minutes of long distance. WTH is that?

The next plan down is 3G's of data which is $10 cheaper but they take away something...actually I'm not sure that they are taking something away , they just word what you get differently.

There is no 2G plan.

I could go down to 1G of data where mysteriously the access charge of one phone drops $5 but for the other phone it's raised $5. I'm still not sure what the access charge is or why one phone requires more of it when purchasing fewer services, but the other phone doesn't.

Or I could get a plan that counts how may emails, texts, websites I visit, or how much music I download, and somehow they think this is an attractive way to package services.

Of course any change will probably result in a one time activation fee and line charge.

You will notice that I get charged for unlimited "anytime" minutes at the top, and then towards the bottom I get charged another $25 for "phone access with unlimited talk/text...". Didn't I just get charged for that at the top? Isn't "phone access" the same as talk? And isn't talk the same as "unlimited anytime minutes"? What would I use those minutes for if I'm not talking?

The second line says messaging is included, but then they are charging me that extra $25 for "unlimited text"? It just feels like they are using different words to charge me extra for the same thing.

This is what my bill looks like for 2 lines sharing 4G's of data that I don't use because 95% of the time I'm on wifi. No roll over data or anything special or fancy.

794


And this is what my Project Fi bill looks like for one phone, Unlimited talk/ text/ 1G data (good in 120 countries), insurance, and taxes. It'll actually be $5 more since I added the insurance after the fact.

795

The simplicity alone is enough to make me want to be here.

Harold Mansfield
05-06-2016, 11:17 AM
Been about 2 months now, and all is well. I love the service, love the phone.

KristineS
05-06-2016, 04:00 PM
Interesting. Sounds like this would be something to investigate in the future for me. Although, I'm not quite as in to technology as you and Vangogh are. ;) A stress free phone bill and service plan would be nice.

Harold Mansfield
05-06-2016, 04:16 PM
It's a pretty stress free bill. Last month I barely used any data, so this month I get a $9.78 credit.