Google’s Project Fi: “I’d Switch To It If I Could”

[socK]

Why is data still this expensive? I don't find it particularly hard to use an upwards of 10+ gb/month. Look at some pictures, stream a bit of music, watch some videos. It's not a lot of data and not that hard to accumulate that kind of usage.

I'm still on unlimited data that I got like 6 years ago...

 

[waffle]

My phone is a company phone. IIRC it's something like $80 with all the charges and everything.


Plan Includes

1500 Shared Anytime Minutes
Any Mobile, Anytime
Nationwide Long Distance Included
Unlimited Night & Weekend Mins. Included
Nights: M-Th 7pm-7am Wknd: F 7pm-M 7am
Call Waiting
Three-Way Calling
Voicemail

I didn't see you mention data. What you mentioned above is $20/mo on Fi. This is a cost-benefit analysis on how you use data. If you find yourself in locations that usually have wifi, you may only spend $25-30 on the plan, like I do now. If you decide that you want more data, you pay on a pro-rated rate based on only what you use and if you don't use any data, the plan stays right at $20. I've been on the plan since July and have never had a bill over $50 and I spent that when I was travelling for work and didn't bother looking for wifi.

 

[waffle]

Why is data still this expensive? I don't find it particularly hard to use an upwards of 10+ gb/month. Look at some pictures, stream a bit of music, watch some videos. It's not a lot of data and not that hard to accumulate that kind of usage.

I'm still on unlimited data that I got like 6 years ago...

Unfortunately, those are few and far between now. Do you do a lot of mobile surfing and usage outside of a location with wifi?

I think that the big selling point for me is that I basically have 3 networks to receive calls on, either Sprint, T-Mobile, or Google's pre-checked free wifi that I have all over the city. It gives me great flexibility with many fewer dead spots in coverage.

 

[Blown 89]

I wouldn't save much since I'm on a business plan with my family but I'm contemplating switching just because I don't want to support AT&T.

 

[ravx25]

I just can't see switching from Cricket at this point. For $45 a month I get all the calls/texts and 5GB of data. I don't have WiFi where I work and I routinely listen to streaming music to and from work. I don't use all my data, generally about 3GB at most, but it's still cheaper than going with this service.

 

[Deleted member 126051]

I didn't see you mention data. What you mentioned above is $20/mo on Fi. This is a cost-benefit analysis on how you use data. If you find yourself in locations that usually have wifi, you may only spend $25-30 on the plan, like I do now. If you decide that you want more data, you pay on a pro-rated rate based on only what you use and if you don't use any data, the plan stays right at $20. I've been on the plan since July and have never had a bill over $50 and I spent that when I was travelling for work and didn't bother looking for wifi.

Unlimited data. I have a smartphone, so I get charged for the "premium data" package.

 

[rat]

I'd be taking a serious look at it (and probably test drive it for a few months) if they offered GSM network access and it wasn't Sprint-based CDMA only. $10s of billions of dollars in annual profit for EACH of the major carriers, but they won't put up any towers where there's a crucial need: the rural Midwest. It's 2015, ffs. I dropped Sprint and went with Cricket (AT&T GSM) because I actually get usable signal now. There's no way I'm going back to anything that Sprint has a hand in.

If you took any look at it at all, you'd know it uses BOTH Sprint and T-Mobile. Simultaneously. So no, it's not strictly CDMA.

It uses CDMA, EVDO, GSM, HSDPA and LTE... all under one sim. It switches between both carriers depending on which has the strongest single at any given moment.

 

[rat]

I'd love to switch to Google Fi. Don't care about data, but $20/mo for text/voice would be a killer deal. Unfortunately I don't like the phones they use. Too expensive.

Still cheaper that what you'd pay for a phone on contract.

 

[ashmelev75]

Still cheaper that what you'd pay for a phone on contract.

Not really. Nexus 5x 32GB is what, 380 bucks + taxes? Project FI with no data is 20$/mo.
Lumia 635 + 32GB card is about $50. T-Mobile/Walmart plan is $30/mo.
So it would take more than 2.5 years to get even on Project FI. By that time you'll need to replace the phone because the battery is gone to shit and it is not replaceable.

 

[rat]

Not really. Nexus 5x 32GB is what, 380 bucks + taxes? Project FI with no data is 20$/mo.
Lumia 635 + 32GB card is about $50. T-Mobile/Walmart plan is $30/mo.
So it would take more than 2.5 years to get even on Project FI. By that time you'll need to replace the phone because the battery is gone to shit and it is not replaceable.

I said on contract.

Verizon dropped my mother's plan (upon request) by $35/mo when the contract ended and I replaced her phone with one bought outright.

$35/mo for two years is $840.

On any plan that has a discounted up front price for a phone for contract, you absolutely are paying full price for it.

The Lumia 635 is also a budget phone compared to the Nexus 5x. Qualcom Snapdragon 400. 1GB Ram. 480 x 854 screen. You really couldn't pick a more garbage phone to compare to the 5X.

 

[Omegas]

That and if you had gotten in on the Nexus 6 for $200 on BF, it's an easy swap over to Fi from there. That is once you get used to a Phablet.