Google’s mobile phone service, Google Fi is now available for everyone who has an unlocked phone. Google Fi does a few things differently that could make it a smart choice or some over a more traditional phone carrier.
Android Central breaks down the features of Google’s mobile phone service and explains that it’s essentially a phone carrier operated by Google. Where it differs from other services is that instead of having to choose between one of the major mobile networks, Google Fi will intelligently switch between getting you mobile data from T-Mobile, Sprint, and U.S. Cellular.
Simplified billing is also a large part of Google’s mobile phone service. A base rate of $20 a month will give you unlimited talk and text and then $10 on top of that for every gigabyte of data. The data caps out at $60 or 6GB where you’ll then be treated like you’re on an unlimited plan.
This means for a total of $80 a month you are on an unlimited phone plan and if you’re not using that much, you’ll pay less. You will have speeds throttled down to 256kbps once you hit 15GB though you can start paying $10 per GB again if you need the speed. Google Fi will also prioritize using WiFi when you’re connected so hopefully your data won’t even reach these limits.
The other bonus recently introduced to Google’s mobile phone service is that it has enabled always-on VPN. This means all your data traffic—which is pretty much everything you do with the Google Fi service—will be encrypted.
Another key benefit for some folks when it comes to using Google Fi is the data works internationally in over 170 countries and won’t charge you extra for it. You may have different rates for calls and texts when using cellular networks abroad so it’s best to check the details of the service you’d want to use first.
Whether or not Google’s mobile phone service is a good move for you will obviously depend on your needs and coverage but it’s good for the market for a new type of plan enter the fray.
