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Google Launches Project Fi Mobile Phone Service

Posted by samzenpus on from the new-carrier-in-town dept.

An anonymous reader writes: Google unveiled today a new cell phone service called Project Fi. It offers the same basic functionality as traditional wireless carriers, such as voice, text and Internet access, but at a lower price than most common plans. From the article: "Google hopes to stand out by changing the way it charges customers. Typically, smartphone owners pay wireless carriers like AT&T and Verizon a bulk rate for a certain amount of data. Google says it will let customers pay for only what data they use on their phones, from doing things like making calls, listening to music and using apps, potentially saving them significant amounts of money. For now, the program is invite-only and will only be available on Google's Nexus 6 smartphone."

13 of 112 comments (clear)

  1. Too expensive. by BenJeremy · · Score: 5, Interesting

    $50 a month to match my son's BoostMobile plan, except he still gets data (at 2G speeds) after he exceeds his limit, and pays $40/month.

    Come on, Google, you used to be cool.

    1. Re:Too expensive. by RevWaldo · · Score: 5, Funny

      So the fee makes you a fi foe?

      .

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      Prisencolinensinainciusol. Ol Rait!
    2. Re:Too expensive. by squiggleslash · · Score: 3, Informative

      5GB is not unlimited, but 5GB High speed + unlimited lower speed is unlimited. The GP is referring to a plan of the latter type.

      Being speed throttled sucks, but it's still good enough access for most web-on-phone tasks.

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
  2. Google should just buy Sprint and T-Mo by swb · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Google should just buy Sprint and T-Mobile, merge their networks to optimize their coverage footprints and backhaul and then sell this plan to anyone and any device.

  3. $10/GB is a bit pricey by slinches · · Score: 3, Informative

    This plan is reasonable for calling and texts, but the data prices are way too high.

    If I were to switch to this plan I'd be paying 4x as much per month than I am currently (@30GB/mo T-mobile unlimited everything = $80, Google fi = $320). The wifi hotspot thing wouldn't help much either since I don't spend much time in range of any publicly accessible networks.

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    Knowledge Brings Fear
    1. Re: $10/GB is a bit pricey by jratcliffe · · Score: 4, Informative

      You only get billed for cellular data, not Wifi. From the official announcement:

      "and then it's a flat $10 per GB for cellular data while in the U.S. and abroad"

      http://googleblog.blogspot.com...

    2. Re:$10/GB is a bit pricey by Ichijo · · Score: 3, Interesting

      The $10/GB should be free (or cheap) during times of light data traffic on the cellular network, similar to "unlimited nights and weekends" voice plans.

      --
      Any sufficiently unpopular but cohesive argument is indistinguishable from trolling.
    3. Re:$10/GB is a bit pricey by schlachter · · Score: 3, Insightful

      plenty of people use less than 1GB/month by habit or by intention. for them, $30/month is pretty awesome.

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      My God can beat up your God. Just kidding...don't take offense. I know there's no God.
    4. Re: $10/GB is a bit pricey by gregselvagem · · Score: 3, Insightful

      In your case you are right, but that doesn't mean $10/gb is pricey for everyone. In my case it is perfect, i'd pay 40(what i'm paying now for Virgin Mobile) and i'd get most of the 20 dollars for data plan back because I am in wifi range a quite often, not to mention that it probably will have way better connectivity than Virgin mobile. So yeah, too much in your case, but perfect for mine.

  4. tethering by bigmo · · Score: 5, Interesting

    One plus is the ability to tether. I have to pay an extra $50 a month with Verizon for a jet pack. This would cut that out entirely.

  5. Re:Better than Net10? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    > What is the benefit? The "roll-over" data?

    You use lots of data. You are not the target market.

    Last year I had a data plan. I used about 20MB of cellular data per month, because I am almost always near wifi. I stopped paying for data. Paying an extra $30 per month for a Gigabyte of data (98% of which I do not use) was stupid. This plan is for me.

  6. Why all the complaining? by sirwired · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This deal is good for some people, not good for others. If you think it'll work for you, sign up, if you don't, then don't. It seems more than a bit of a stretch to proclaim that the plan is a colossal failure because it does not meet your particular needs.

    For somebody regularly near Wi-Fi (and therefore a low user of data), it's a pretty good plan, with only $20/mo for the unlimited T&T, and data that is reasonably priced if you don't use that much of it.

  7. At least someone finally recognized by sabbede · · Score: 3, Interesting

    that it's all just data. It's absurd the way carriers have been pretending voice and data are somehow different.