Google Fi (pronounced ), formerly Project Fi, is an

MVNO A mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) is a wireless communications services provider that does not own the wireless network infrastructure over which it provides services to its customers. An MVNO enters into a business agreement with a mobile ...

telecommunication Telecommunication is the transmission of information by various types of technologies over wire, radio, optical, or other electromagnetic systems. It has its origin in the desire of humans for communication over a distance greater than that ...

s service by

Google Google LLC () is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company focusing on Search Engine, search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, software, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, ar ...

that provides

telephone call A telephone call is a connection over a telephone network between the called party and the calling party. First telephone call The first telephone call was made on March 10, 1876, by Alexander Graham Bell. Bell demonstrated his ability to "ta ...

SMS Short Message/Messaging Service, commonly abbreviated as SMS, is a text messaging service component of most telephone, Internet and mobile device systems. It uses standardized communication protocols that let mobile devices exchange short text ...

, and

mobile broadband Mobile broadband is the marketing term for wireless Internet access via mobile networks. Access to the network can be made through a portable modem, wireless modem, or a tablet/ smartphone (possibly tethered) or other mobile device. The fir ...

using

cellular network A cellular network or mobile network is a communication network where the link to and from end nodes is wireless. The network is distributed over land areas called "cells", each served by at least one fixed-location transceiver (typically th ...

s and

Wi-Fi Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols, based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by radio waves ...

. Google Fi uses networks operated by

T-Mobile T-Mobile is the brand name used by some of the mobile communications subsidiaries of the German telecommunications company Deutsche Telekom AG in the Czech Republic ( T-Mobile Czech Republic), Poland ( T-Mobile Polska), the United States (T-Mobil ...

and

U.S. Cellular United States Cellular Corporation (doing business as UScellular) is an American mobile network operator. It is a subsidiary of Telephone and Data Systems Inc. (which owns an 84% stake). The company was formed in 1983 and is headquartered in ...

. Google Fi is a service for US residents only, as of late 2019. The service was launched for the Nexus 6, by invitation only, on April 22, 2015. The service was opened to the public on March 7, 2016, and support for additional devices, including the Pixel and Pixel XL

smartphone A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, whi ...

s, was introduced on October 4, 2016. On November 28, 2018, Google rebranded Project Fi as Google Fi and added support for more phones, including partial support for iPhones.

History

Google Fi was announced exclusively for the Nexus 6 smartphone on April 22, 2015, with support for Sprint and

. Due to high demand at launch, the service required that users receive invitations, which were gradually released throughout summer 2015. The invitation system was dropped on March 7, 2016.

was added on June 8, 2016.

Three 3 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 3, three, or III may also refer to: * AD 3, the third year of the AD era * 3 BC, the third year before the AD era * March, the third month Books * '' Three of Them'' (Russian: ', literally, "three"), a 1901 ...

was added on July 12, 2016. In October 2016, Google added support for the Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones, and later introduced a Group Plan, letting subscribers add extra members to their plans. On January 17, 2018, Google Fi announced bill protection which caps the charge for data at $60. If the data used is greater than 15GB, then Fi may slow the data speed to 256kbit/s. The user can avoid the slowdown by paying full price for the data used at $10 per GB. Bill protection also works with group plans, with a maximum charge of $85 for two people, $120 for three people, and $140 for four people. The rate for unlimited calls and texting is not affected by bill protection.

Features

Google Fi automatically switches between networks depending on signal strength and speed. It can automatically connect to open Wi-Fi hotspots while securing data with

encryption In cryptography, encryption is the process of encoding information. This process converts the original representation of the information, known as plaintext, into an alternative form known as ciphertext. Ideally, only authorized parties can d ...

through an automatic

VPN A virtual private network (VPN) extends a private network across a public network and enables users to send and receive data across shared or public networks as if their computing devices were directly connected to the private network. The be ...

. Phone calls will seamlessly transition to a

if Wi-Fi coverage is lost. Google Fi users could originally use the now defunct

Google Hangouts Google Hangouts is a discontinued cross-platform instant messaging service developed by Google. It originally was a feature of Google+, becoming a standalone product in 2013, when Google also began integrating features from Google+ Messenger a ...

on any phone, tablet, or computer to call and text. Google Fi also supports

VoLTE Voice over LTE (VoLTE) is an LTE high-speed wireless communication standard for mobile phones and data terminals, including Internet of things (IoT) devices and wearables. VoLTE has up to three times more voice and data capacity than older 3G ...

as part of a staged rollout. Google Fi supports 5G and it automatically switches between different networks. A data-only

SIM card A typical SIM card (mini-SIM with micro-SIM cutout) A GSM mobile phone file:Simkarte NFC SecureElement.jpg, T-Mobile nano-SIM card with NFC capabilities in the SIM tray of an iPhone 6s file:Tf sim both sides.png, A TracFone Wireless SIM card ha ...

can be used on supported tablets,

s, and car modems (e.g., Volvo). A data-only sim will have access to data, but will not be able to make calls or transmit texts across cellular networks In October 2021, Google Fi announced that it would be adding support for

end-to-end encrypted End-to-end encryption (E2EE) is a system of communication where only the communicating users can read the messages. In principle, it prevents potential eavesdroppers – including telecom providers, Internet providers, malicious actors, and eve ...

calls.

Plans

Monthly plans start at $20 per month and are flat fee–based, paid at the beginning of each monthly billing cycle. All plans include unlimited calls and messaging. Money for unused data is credited back to the user's account, while overuse of data results in a charge of $10 per gigabyte. When outside the United States, cellular phone calls cost $0.20 per minute, data costs the same $10 per

gigabyte The gigabyte () is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information. The prefix '' giga'' means 109 in the International System of Units (SI). Therefore, one gigabyte is one billion bytes. The unit symbol for the gigabyte is GB. This definit ...

(i.e. there are no extra data charges outside of the US), and texting is free. Data is free at full speeds between 6 GB and 15 GB for the duration of the billing cycle with Bill Protection. After 15 GB, data continues to be free but will be throttled to unspecified speeds. A data-only SIM card can be used on tablets and other compatible devices, including the 2013 Nexus 7, Nexus 9, and iPad Air 2. The devices must be compatible with the T-Mobile network, and users can add up to 4 data-only SIM cards in one account (before July 2019 the limit was 9 data-only SIM cards in one account). A Group Plan, which allows users, referred to as "managers", to add other people, referred to as "members", to their subscription, costs an additional $15 per user. Group Plans let managers view data usage by member, set data notifications, add monthly allowances, and pause members' data usage. In June 2017, Group Plans were updated to feature "Group Repay", in which Google Fi automatically calculates each of the members' individual shares of the bill and allows for easy payments. Such payments can be a fixed amount, an individual's total usage, or only for data usage above the standard data allotment. Google Fi offers an 'Unlimited' Plan for its users for a flat rate of $70 per month with up to 50 GB of high speed data. After 50 GB, speeds are throttled to 256 kbit/s. On both plans, users can pay an additional $10 per 1 GB until their next billing cycle. Fi's 'Unlimited' plan also includes 100 GB of Google One storage at no additional cost.

Devices

LG G7 ThinQ The LG G7 ThinQ, commonly referred to as just LG G7, is an Android smartphone developed by LG Electronics as part of the LG G series. It was officially announced on May 2, 2018, after about a week of official leaks by LG. It is the second produ ...

LG V35 ThinQ The LG V series is a line of high-end Android devices produced by LG Electronics. This series is slated above the LG G series. The first phone in the V series, the LG V10, was unveiled in September 2015, the first smartphone to have the multiple ...

LG V30S LG Corporation (or LG Group) (), formerly Lucky-Goldstar from 1983 to 1995 (Korean: ''Leokki Geumseong''; ), is a South Korean multinational conglomerate founded by Koo In-hwoi and managed by successive generations of his family. It is t ...

LG V30 The LG V30 is an Android phablet manufactured by LG Electronics as part of the LG V series. Unveiled on 31 August 2017 as the successor to the LG V20, the V30 forgoes the V20's secondary display for a "floating bar" which has nearly the same ...

LG V20 LG V20 is an Android phone manufactured by LG Electronics, in its LG V series, succeeding the LG V10 released in 2015. Unveiled on September 6, 2016, it was the first phone with the Android Nougat operating system. Like the V10, the V20 ...

LG G6 The LG G6 is an Android smartphone developed by LG Electronics as part of the LG G series. It was announced during Mobile World Congress on February 26, 2017, as the successor to the 2016 LG G5. The G6 is distinguished by its 5.7-inch display, wh ...

Moto X4 , released = September 1, 2017 , available = United Kingdom, France, Germany, India September 22, 2017 Australia September 27, 2017 India November 14, 2017 , discontinued = , unitssold = , unitsshipped = , predecessor = Moto ...

(

Android One Android One is a family of third-party Android smartphones promoted by Google. In comparison to many third-party Android devices, which ship with a manufacturer's customized user interface and bundled apps, these devices run near- stock ve ...

version) *

Moto G6 Moto G6 (stylized by Motorola as moto g6) is a series of Android smartphones developed by Motorola Mobility, a subsidiary of Lenovo. It is the sixth generation of the Moto G family. There are three models, the g6, g6 plus and g6 play. Only the ...

Moto G7 Moto G7 (stylized by Motorola as moto g7) is a series of Android smartphones developed by Motorola Mobility, a subsidiary of Lenovo. It is the seventh generation of the Moto G family and was first released on 7 February 2019. As with the las ...

* Moto G Stylus * Moto G Power * Nexus 6 *

Nexus 5X The Nexus 5X (codenamed bullhead) is an Android smartphone manufactured by LG Electronics, co-developed with and marketed by Google as part of its Nexus line of flagship devices. Unveiled on September 29, 2015, it was a successor to the Nexus 5 ...

Nexus 6P Nexus 6P (codenamed ''Angler'') (also known as the Nexus 6 Plus, Nexus 6 Pro or Nexus 6 Premium) is an Android smartphone developed and marketed by Google and manufactured by Huawei. It succeeded the Nexus 6 as the flagship device of the Nexus ...

* Pixel and Pixel XL * Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL * Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL * Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL * Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL * Pixel 4a and Pixel 4a (5G) * Pixel 5 *

Pixel 5a The Pixel 5a, also known as the Pixel 5a with 5G, is an Android smartphone designed, developed, and marketed by Google as part of the Google Pixel product line. It serves as a mid-range variant of the Pixel 5. It was officially announced on Au ...

* Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro *

Pixel 6a The Pixel 6a is an Android smartphone designed, developed, and marketed by Google as part of the Google Pixel product line. It serves as a mid-range variant of the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. The device was announced on May 11, 2022 as part of Goog ...

* Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro *

iPhone 5S The iPhone 5S (stylized and marketed as iPhone 5s) is a smartphone that was designed and marketed by Apple Inc. It is the seventh generation of the iPhone, succeeding the iPhone 5, and unveiled in September 2013, alongside the iPhone 5C. ...

and later (beta) *

iPhone 5C The iPhone 5C (marketed as iPhone 5c) is a smartphone that was designed and marketed by Apple Inc. It is part of the sixth generation of the iPhone. The device was unveiled on September 10, 2013, and released on September 20, 2013, alon ...

iPhone 5 The iPhone 5 is a smartphone that was designed and marketed by Apple Inc. It is the 6th generation iPhone, succeeding both the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, and preceding both the iPhone 5S and 5C. It was formally unveiled as part of a press ...

* Samsung Galaxy S21 *

Samsung Galaxy S20 The Samsung Galaxy S20 is a series of Android-based smartphones designed, developed, marketed, and manufactured by Samsung Electronics as part of its Galaxy S series. They collectively serve as the successor to the Galaxy S10 series. The first ...

* Samsung Galaxy Note20 * Samsung Galaxy A71 * Samsung Galaxy A32 * Other devices may work with data-only SIMs if they are unlocked and work with the

GSM The Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) is a standard developed by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) to describe the protocols for second-generation ( 2G) digital cellular networks used by mobile devices such ...

network. Google Fi may not be able to help activate or troubleshoot unlisted devices.

Reception

Nicole Lee of ''

Engadget ''Engadget'' ( ) is a multilingual technology blog network with daily coverage of gadgets and consumer electronics. ''Engadget'' manages ten blogs four of which are written in English and six have international versions with independent editor ...

'' praised the service's plans, writing that "In the course of six months, I've barely touched my monthly 2 GB data allotment and frequently receive money back each month from unused data. I found myself paying a little more than $20 a month for Fi, which is the least I've paid for a cell phone service, ever." Lee liked the service's transition between Wi-Fi and cellular data. JR Raphael of ''

Computerworld ''Computerworld'' (abbreviated as CW) is an ongoing decades old professional publication which in 2014 "went digital." Its audience is information technology (IT) and business technology professionals, and is available via a publication website ...

'' also praised the pricing strategy and network transitions. Raphael also wrote that "Fi's customer support is ..actually a pretty good experience", elaborating that "if you need extra help, both interfaces offer the ability to get 24/7 support from a real person via phone or email."

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Google Fi Fi Mobile virtual network operators