Google's Project Fi is Now Available Without Invite; Offer Includes Nexus 5X for Only $200

[dgstorm]

Google's Project Fi is now available without an invite. To celebrate the new open availability, Google is also offering a very tempting discount for folks who sign up for the service and opt for the Google Nexus 5X smartphone to go with it.

Customers who sign up for the Project Fi service and purchase the Nexus 5X will get $150 off the regular price of the phone, bringing it down to a super-affordable $200 price. When you consider Google's Project Fi service could save individual plan holders a ton of money, this is a deal that might be too good to pass up. The offer is valid for only one discounted Nexus 5X per account, and officially ends on April 7, 2016 while supplies last.

For those who haven't heard the details about Project Fi, it is Google's own wireless cellular and data smartphone service. Project Fi is an MVNO which uses both T-Mobile and Sprint's networks in tandem for users to get the best signal strength. Additionally, the Project Fi compatible phones (the Nexus 6, Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P) have special radios that allow them to seamlessly switch between Wi-Fi and the cellular network for both data and phone calls. This means you are frequently using Wi-Fi for data instead of the usage of your data plan.

The pricing for Project Fi is very affordable when you compare it to individual data plans from the other big U.S. networks. It is only $25 per month for unlimited calling/texting and is just $10 per month for every 1GB of data. You only pay an additional $10 per 1GB of data beyond the first, and Google will actually pay you back for any unused data in your plan each month. The average user on Project Fi uses about 1.6GB of data, leading to a typical price of just $45 per month.

Here's a link for more info: Official Android Blog: From “Hi” to Fi to “Goodbye” to invites: 7 things we’ve learned about Project Fi

 

[Amagine]

I honestly am waiting for Project Fi to kick the Nexus requirement and go to a sim for a GSM phone. Definately wouldn't mind testing this out.

 

[akhenax]

For me, $10 per gig is too high. I pay 145 for Unlimited data now. To get 18 Gigs, it would cost me $180 + $25. No Tanx

 

[Jonny Kansas]

I honestly am waiting for Project Fi to kick the Nexus requirement and go to a sim for a GSM phone. Definately wouldn't mind testing this out.

I don't see that happening. Fi works on AT&T, which is GSM, but it also uses Sprint towers. Those are CDMA.

The best you could do is a fully unlocked or "Global" phone.

 

[Amagine]

For me, $10 per gig is too high. I pay 145 for Unlimited data now. To get 18 Gigs, it would cost me $180 + $25. No Tanx

The trick is though, if you don't use 18, you get the money back. Where as if you had to convert to a standard plan (10 per gig is pretty much the going rate btw) you would be leaving money on the table if you only used 6 or 10 gig a month.

Like for my wife and I, I'm a fairly heavy wi-fi user. She's a mobile data hog. I have 10 gig for those months she's not at an office with a wi-fi connection. However, most months it's 60-70 dollars we could see back.

 

[Amagine]

I don't see that happening. Fi works on AT&T, which is GSM, but it also uses Sprint towers. Those are CDMA.

The best you could do is a fully unlocked or "Global" phone.

Well that's what I was meaning. I thought Sprint was GSM and the only CDMA carrier was Verizon. Either way.

 

[Jonny Kansas]

Well that's what I was meaning. I thought Sprint was GSM and the only CDMA carrier was Verizon. Either way.

We have two GSM & 2 CDMA carriers as far as the main ones go.

Though I have a Nexus device, I agree that it's be nice if they supported other options.

Hopefully this is the first step towards that. I seem to remember reading something about someone getting a Moto X Pure to work on Fi when it first came out, though I don't think it worked as well as a Nexus device.

Sent from my Nexus 6P

 

[JDH]

What if...... You buy the Nexus 5x, sign up for FI and after a time being dissatisfied with the service, could you take the phone to Verizon on a prepay account.

 

[Jonny Kansas]

What if...... You buy the Nexus 5x, sign up for FI and after a time being dissatisfied with the service, could you take the phone to Verizon on a prepay account.

Idk why not.

Sent from my Nexus 6P

 

[wcjeep]

Due to my excessive monthly data usage Project Fi is not quite worth it yet. If they release the S7 for Project Fi I might take the dive. Have not used the 6p. Friends are on Fi with the 5x. 5x is a great phone. The S7 screen and camera are better.

For me, $10 per gig is too high. I pay 145 for Unlimited data now. To get 18 Gigs, it would cost me $180 + $25. No Tanx

 

[kinfolk248]

1. Wish it was the 6p...
2. Pricing is in line with the big boys...cheaper actually sibce it's pay as you go.
3. Sign up? Didn't read the details if it was tradition contract structured or month to month. By it's Google so it can't be a trap like Vzw...
4. Homemade french toast ftw... ;-)

 

[dgstorm]

I'll address some of these questions.

First, Project Fi can't get the Galaxy S7 (or any other non-Nexus device) because the main feature of Project Fi is its automatic switching between the cell network and Wi-Fi. That requires a special radio that is only built into current Nexus devices. It is unlikely that we will see Samsung, LG, HTC or any of the Android OEMs voluntarily choose to put that special radio into their non-Nexus devices. Google would probably have to work out a contract with them in some way to entice them to do so.

Second, the Nexus 5X works just fine on other networks, so if you ever leave Project Fi, you can easily take the Nexus 5X elsewhere.

Third, as far as the value ratio is concerned, some of you are forgetting one thing. The Project Fi phone automatically switches between the cell network and any nearby W-Fi network. That means a good portion of your data usage will be offloaded to Wi-Fi instead of your data usage plan. Even heavy data users will likely not use as much data on Project Fi as they do with their Unlimited Plans now, and they will net extra money in their pocket from that exchange.

Fourth, as far as sign up goes, Project Fi is not a contract. It is simply a month-to-month program.

 

[Mustang02]

I'll address some of these questions.

First, Project Fi can't get the Galaxy S7 (or any other non-Nexus device) because the main feature of Project Fi is its automatic switching between the cell network and Wi-Fi. That requires a special radio that is only built into current Nexus devices. It is unlikely that we will see Samsung, LG, HTC or any of the Android OEMs voluntarily choose to put that special radio into their non-Nexus devices. Google would probably have to work out a contract with them in some way to entice them to do so.

Second, the Nexus 5X works just fine on other networks, so if you ever leave Project Fi, you can easily take the Nexus 5X elsewhere.

Third, as far as the value ratio is concerned, some of you are forgetting one thing. The Project Fi phone automatically switches between the cell network and any nearby W-Fi network. That means a good portion of your data usage will be offloaded to Wi-Fi instead of your data usage plan. Even heavy data users will likely not use as much data on Project Fi as they do with their Unlimited Plans now, and they will net extra money in their pocket from that exchange.

Fourth, as far as sign up goes, Project Fi is not a contract. It is simply a month-to-month program.

**Fourth** - What WiFi is being used? Is there a list of who provides WiFi for Project Fi?

 

[Jonny Kansas]

Third, as far as the value ratio is concerned, some of you are forgetting one thing. The Project Fi phone automatically switches between the cell network and any nearby W-Fi network. That means a good portion of your data usage will be offloaded to Wi-Fi instead of your data usage plan. Even heavy data users will likely not use as much data on Project Fi as they do with their Unlimited Plans now, and they will net extra money in their pocket from that exchange.

Do you (or anyone else) know, does this mean that you're constantly connecting to open, and therefore, unsecured networks as you move around town? Is there some sort of VPN or protection for your data built in to this service?

If not, I would use just as much mobile data on fi as I do on VZW, because there are very few networks I trust and I use those when I'm in range, but keep wifi off other than that.

Also, @Mustang02 seems to have ninja'd me as I was asking basically the same question in a different way with way more words.

 

[Mustang02]

Yeah, I'm sneaky like that.

Connect automatically to open Wi-Fi networks - Project Fi Help

It uses a VPN but how much should we trust this? I don't connect to any open WiFi hotspots, ever. So should we just trust that Project Fi won't let us down?