Continuing the discussion from Have an android phone for sale?:
What was it about Google Fi, other than it being associated with (ugghhh!) Google that made you decide to cancel?
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I only got it for the phone. I had been curious about Google Fi but I was already using T-Mobile. T-Mobile is better for me due to Binge On, I used up all of my Google Fi data in around a day of playing Pandora and YouTube.
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ahhh…you were trying to screwgle (or is it scroogle?) them!
I did pay for the data that I used, I can’t remember the specifics but I remember paying for the data because I thought that was fair. Google didn’t require a contract and if Fi had been better or would have worked for me at all I might have kept it. T-Mobile was a better deal.
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Ah, Google Fi. Been using them for ~18 months.
TL;DR: Fi service appeals to my inner cheapness, but part of the deal is a pile of inconvenience for the user.
Upside: It’s cheap with light data usage. Usually costs me less than half what I was coughing up for VZW on a grandfathered unlimited plan. I’m near trusted WiFi almost all the time so I typically use <2GB a month. I don’t stream music or video.
Downside: Almost everything else. You are first and foremost using a MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) so you’re a second-class user relative to the T-Mo and Sprint’s customers who pay more than you do, thus are head of the line for tower spectrum and site/core bandwidth. “No LTE, no connect” I always find myself muttering - if that display shows 3G or H (HSA), you’re not going to do much more than voice call or SMS. WiFi calling - one of their big features - is hilariously terrible. Phone selection is pretty bad. The Nexus 5X I bought from them was cheap, but 18 months and an RMA later (thanks, LG bootlooping) battery life is dismal - the mid-day recharge has been a thing for going on a year now. The Pixel phones might perform better, but not sure why I’d spend that kind of dough for terrible network quality. Every fourth call I attempt it basically doesn’t make. Voice quality is an issue even when you’re talking direct to the tower.
The Verdict: I am almost certainly ditching Fi service within 6 months unless I can manage to replace the battery in my phone - and even then I suspect the inconveniences will push me away within 6 months.
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I do some mobile development at work and we’ve used Google Fi in the past to get cheap service when needed. I’m a heavy data user so it doesn’t make sense for me personally. I’ve read mixed reviews. It seems like a brilliant idea that’s maybe a bit ahead of it’s time.
I was with Sprint at $79 a month. This was before their 1/2 deals. I am single so all the family plans leave me cold. They played games with me on my next 2 year plan. Charge me less for less or more for less. It was irritating so I started shopping.
All the major carriers for 1 line were in the same ballpark. This was 3 years ago. Might have gotten better.
I ended up with Cricket. $40 a month with 4 gigs of data. If you Autopay, that is -$5. So, $35 a month. All in price. No taxes or fees beyond $35. Cricket is now owned by AT&T. Not the very best service and quite satisfactory for $35 a month.
Any AT&T phone or unlocked GSM phone.
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This was almost exactly my experience, except I switched to Metro PCS (now owned by T-Mo) and pay $45 all in.
So you win!
I have Walmart’s Family Phone (T-Mobile) 6GB for $40.