Is Google Fi better than Verizon?

[hallux]

Re: Google Fi

Once you hit 15 GB you are hard capped at 2G speeds. That is fully known

Actually, you can revert to $10 per GB to uncap the speeds for the rest of the cycle. https://fi.google.com/about/faq/#plan-and-pricing-6

 

[Almeuit]

Re: Google Fi

Actually, you can revert to $10 per GB to uncap the speeds for the rest of the cycle. https://fi.google.com/about/faq/#plan-and-pricing-6

Even more proof to my point that it is terrible for high data users lol .

 

[TraderGary]

Re: Google Fi

Even more proof to my point that it is terrible for high data users lol .

Fi is not terrible for all high data users. Fi is wonderful for high data users like me where almost all data use is through WiFi.

 

[Almeuit]

Re: Google Fi

Fi is not terrible for all high data users. Fi is wonderful for high data users like me where almost all data use is through WiFi.

Well obviously I don't mean WiFi since we are talking cellular data. Talking about a cellular data plan for WiFi usage is worthless lol. Makes no sense.

 

[dpham00]

Re: Google Fi

Fi is not terrible for all high data users. Fi is wonderful for high data users like me where almost all data use is through WiFi.

Data usage on cellular phones means mobile data. You would fall under the low (mobile) data usage category.

 

[Golfdriver97]

Re: Google Fi

I keep getting tempted to switch. I am a low enough mobile data consumer where Fine would most likely be a good fit.

 

[TraderGary]

Re: Google Fi

Well obviously I don't mean WiFi since we are talking cellular data. Talking about a cellular data plan for WiFi usage is worthless lol. Makes no sense.

Perhaps I'm not understanding you. Obviously Fi is a cellular data plan. And for me it isn't worthless. Last month I used 19.81 GB of data on my Pixel 3 XL. My Google Fi Bill was $23.34, including all fees and taxes.

 

[hallux]

Re: Google Fi

Perhaps I'm not understanding you. Obviously Fi is a cellular data plan. And for me it isn't worthless. Last month I used 19.81 GB of data on my Pixel 3 XL. My Google Fi Bill was $23.34, including all fees and taxes.

As was indicated, most people are referring to MOBILE data usage when referring to data usage, since that's the one that really matters. Most people have unmetered WiFi available at home (and some at work as well) so only MOBILE data is considered.

 

[Almeuit]

Re: Google Fi

Perhaps I'm not understanding you. Obviously Fi is a cellular data plan. And for me it isn't worthless. Last month I used 19.81 GB of data on my Pixel 3 XL. My Google Fi Bill was $23.34, including all fees and taxes.

It couldn't have been 19.81 GB of data used and be $23.34. The base package is $20 then +$10 per GB up until the bill protection ($80 single plan / or $135 for 2 line+). So either you have a bill credit or something offsetting that but going off cost of what they do there is no way you did 20 GB + and then had a $23 bill.

If you are looking at your Pixel data screen in settings and don't have a cycle setup that is your whole time not just 1 month. It doesn't sync up with your data plan.

Also this is all cellular talks. We are talking about picking a cell provider for CELL service. You can't compare "I used 500 GB on wifi!" and say Fi is a good plan for someone based on that because if they need CELLULAR data then your wifi usage means nothing and really doesn't help the OP or anyone choose a particular data plan if they truly need cellular data.

 

[Almeuit]

Re: Google Fi

As was indicated, most people are referring to MOBILE data usage when referring to data usage, since that's the one that really matters. Most people have unmetered WiFi available at home (and some at work as well) so only MOBILE data is considered.

Exactly. You don't pick a mobile data plan (2 GB, 5 GB, unlimited) based on how much you use on WiFi. I can pull hundreds of GB on WiFi but that doesn't mean the WiFi will be there if I need that hundreds of GB or whatever in the middle of town where I don't have WiFi. You choose cellular data plans off of how much cellular data you need.

 

[TraderGary]

Re: Google Fi

Since my wife and I are both on Fi, I divided my total monthly Fi cost by 2 for my individual cost. You are correct that a single Fi user couldn't have a cost that low.

Since Fi defaults to WiFi before using cellular data or voice, I never think about whether I'm on WiFi or on cellular. I just use my phone and I use data whenever I want. I live in the Atlanta area and I'm fortunate enough to have strong, reliable WiFi almost everywhere I go. For my use case, using anything other than Fi wouldn't make good sense.

 

[Almeuit]

Re: Google Fi

Since my wife and I are both on Fi, I divided my total monthly Fi cost by 2 for my individual cost. You are correct that a single Fi user couldn't have a cost that low.

Since Fi defaults to WiFi before using cellular data or voice, I never think about whether I'm on WiFi or on cellular. I just use my phone and I use data whenever I want. I live in the Atlanta area and I'm fortunate enough to have strong, reliable WiFi almost everywhere I go. For my use case, using anything other than Fi wouldn't make good sense.

And that is fine for your use case but if you want to help someone asking "Fi or this carrier?" comparing your own WiFi usage as if you can use hundreds of GB for low cost is not helpful at all. Suchas here I am warning the OP if they are a high data user then it is not the best option and that is just a fact. To come in and say "I am on wifi" doesn't help the OP with choosing the appropriate carrier/data plan that they may need and since people are talking about cellular data that is what is the most helpful in determining someones needs / costs.

We have to be upfront and explain the costs and not bury the fact you may get to be on Wifi 99% of your day. That doesn't mean we all have that luxury. It also doesn't explain the cellular data cost since WiFi doesn't cost anyone (as in you can use any cellular plan or no cellular plan and still use WiFi on a device).

 

[dpham00]

Re: Google Fi

Since my wife and I are both on Fi, I divided my total monthly Fi cost by 2 for my individual cost. You are correct that a single Fi user couldn't have a cost that low.

Since Fi defaults to WiFi before using cellular data or voice, I never think about whether I'm on WiFi or on cellular. I just use my phone and I use data whenever I want. I live in the Atlanta area and I'm fortunate enough to have strong, reliable WiFi almost everywhere I go. For my use case, using anything other than Fi wouldn't make good sense.

Great for you. But not everyone is so lucky to have WiFi almost everywhere they go. So it isn't really comparable.

I understand that it works well for your use case but saying that "Fi is wonderful for high data users" is extremely deceptive. And I would strongly suggest that you explain your use case scenario for people to understand when making that statement

 

[TraderGary]

Re: Google Fi

Great for you. But not everyone is so lucky to have WiFi almost everywhere they go. So it isn't really comparable.

I understand that it works well for your use case but saying that "Fi is wonderful for high data users" is extremely deceptive. And I would strongly suggest that you explain your use case scenario for people to understand when making that statement

It should be obvious that if your high data use is primarily on cellular data and not WiFi that Google Fi is not a good fit. You're right, there are probably a lot of people today that wouldn't understand that.

 

[hallux]

Re: Google Fi

It should be obvious that if your high data use is primarily on cellular data and not WiFi that Google Fi is not a good fit. You're right, there are probably a lot of people today that wouldn't understand that.

Again - when people talk about data usage, they're talking about mobile (cellular) data usage. There is no consideration for data used on WiFi as that data is typically umetered (while it may be tracked there's no limit or billing based on that usage). Shoot - if we're going to talk about WiFi data, maybe I should include my total computing data usage, including data used on my home WiFi by my laptop, tablet and desktop. If I include all of that I'm a SUPER high data user, but my mobile data use (what matters for discussion of mobile data plans) is a minuscule segment of that, usually only 200 MB or so over my Fi cellular data connection.

As was said by @dpham00 it's a misrepresentation to say something like "I used 20 GB of data on my phone last month and only paid $25". You may have, but only a fraction of that data was used on your cellular connection, where the usage matters for billing purposes.

 

[Mike Dee]

Re: Google Fi

I'm in the same situation. I think Fi works best with users who have high wi-fi access. I have unlimited data, and use it, so Fi wouldn't be the best fit for me.

It would work for me if I never left the house or maybe around the neighborhood. I

 

[TraderGary]

Re: Google Fi

Android Central published an article about Google Fi a couple of days ago.

https://www.androidcentral.com/project-fi

There are apparently quite a few who can benefit from the Google Fi data model. Our savings with Fi pays for our two new Pixel 3 XL's. I wonder how many subscribers Fi actually has.

 

[18t]

Re: Google Fi

Android Central published an article about Google Fi a couple of days ago.

https://www.androidcentral.com/project-fi

There are apparently quite a few who can benefit from the Google Fi data model. Our savings with Fi pays for our two new Pixel 3 XL's. I wonder how many subscribers Fi actually has.

I bet a lot more after that promotion they were running a couple days ago. I signed up just because of it. We'll see how it works out.

 

[Mike Dee]

Re: Google Fi

Android Central published an article about Google Fi a couple of days ago.

https://www.androidcentral.com/project-fi

There are apparently quite a few who can benefit from the Google Fi data model. Our savings with Fi pays for our two new Pixel 3 XL's. I wonder how many subscribers Fi actually has.

It would never work for me. I use most of my data not connected to WiFi because of my commute and I don't connect to work wifi because it times out when not using it so it's a hassle to reconnect with a password each time

 

[TraderGary]

Re: Google Fi

It would never work for me. I use most of my data not connected to WiFi because of my commute and I don't connect to work wifi because it times out when not using it so it's a hassle to reconnect with a password each time

I can see Fi is not a good fit for you. Kate and I are more fortunate. We both office from our home. We eat out most of the time and all restaurants we frequent have good WiFi. I really can't think of anywhere we go that doesn't have WiFi.