Google Fi bricked my iPhone 11 Pro Max (2020)
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Re: Google Fi bricked my iPhone 11 Pro Max (2020)
#2I had such a terrible experience with Google Fi for 3 months, I never thought I would be this happy switching back to T-Mobile.
Re: Google Fi bricked my iPhone 11 Pro Max (2020)
#3They purchased a T-Mobile locked iPhone from Best Buy. Best Buy don't sell new unlocked iPhones (only used store with reviews saying they're sometimes locked). They then activated the phone on a T-Mobile MVNO which allowed the phone to work.
They had an unrelated issue with Google Fi (terms of service violation), purchased a foreign SIM card, found out they had purchased a locked iPhone and then contacted Google Fi support accusing them of causing it.
Google Fi's support rightfully said that they don't sell locked phones (least of all iPhones), and that they couldn't unlock a T-Mobile locked phone. The writer accuses them of acting illegally.
People seem to be under the mistaken impression that cellphone operators just have this red "unlock" button, whereas the reality is that T-Mobile is the only one capable of generating an unlock.
Re: Google Fi bricked my iPhone 11 Pro Max (2020)
#4Did he try to do anything in a small claims court? Get a consultation with a lawyer? This is such a slam dunk it seems infinitely worth pursuing.
Obviously yes you'd rather not, but I never see updates on if the issue gets solved.
Re: Google Fi bricked my iPhone 11 Pro Max (2020)
#5> I learned that Google Fi exclusively uses the T-Mobile network for iPhone customers, and activating a Google Fi SIM with an iPhone causes T-Mobile to lock the phone to the T-Mobile network (which is illegal, since the user hasn’t entered into any service agreement with T-Mobile).
Wow, carriers can just remotely lock an unlocked phone? How does this even work? Is this some kind of command that the SIM card sends the phone that the phone recognizes?
Re: Google Fi bricked my iPhone 11 Pro Max (2020)
#6They purchased a T-Mobile locked iPhone from Best Buy. Best Buy don't sell new unlocked iPhones (only used store with reviews saying they're sometimes locked). They then activated the phone on a T-Mobile MVNO which allowed the phone to work. They had an unrelated issue with Google Fi (terms of service violation), purchased a foreign SIM card, found out they had purchased a locked iPhone and then contacted Google Fi s…
I just went to Best Buy's website. There's unlocked phones. It's typically the carrier branch stores that don't sell unlocked devices, though they often do in my experience (you'll get the phone cheaper somewhere else).
If you read carefully, the carrier selection on the website is really just for carrier compatibility; you are offered the option of paying the entire price upfront.
The shocker to me here is you can pay the entire up front cost and have your phone remotely disabled.
Re: Google Fi bricked my iPhone 11 Pro Max (2020)
#7Google Fi (originally Project Fi) was amazing when it first came out, but at some point they switched to contracted support with no ability to resolve issues (it's not even the support people's fault, as they literally don't have the power to do anything). For awhile Google people used to hang out in the Google Fi subreddit but they seem to have mostly moved on to other projects or companies. Besides locking phones like this example, their insurance has turned into a flat out scam- they either lose the phone completely, claim that the ID doesn't match the one in their system, or tell people there are no replacements available so they have to pay a fee for an "upgrade".
Between this and the GCP price increases today is a pretty solid reminder that relying on any Google service is likely a mistake.
Re: Google Fi bricked my iPhone 11 Pro Max (2020)
#8This happened to me with a nameless Canadian carrier. I bought an iPhone, unlocked, from Apple. It worked great with many SIMs in different countries. At some point, the screen broke on the phone, and Apple did an "AppleCare express replacement" where they sent me a replacement phone and I sent my broken one back.
The next SIM I put in the phone locked the phone to that carrier.
It took like 5 minutes with Apple support to have Apple unlock the phone.
So perhaps that's a route the author could take?
Re: Google Fi bricked my iPhone 11 Pro Max (2020)
#9why would you use an iphone with google? asking for trouble...
Re: Google Fi bricked my iPhone 11 Pro Max (2020)
#10They purchased a T-Mobile locked iPhone from Best Buy. Best Buy don't sell new unlocked iPhones (only used store with reviews saying they're sometimes locked). They then activated the phone on a T-Mobile MVNO which allowed the phone to work. They had an unrelated issue with Google Fi (terms of service violation), purchased a foreign SIM card, found out they had purchased a locked iPhone and then contacted Google Fi s…
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/apple-preowned-iphone-x-with-25...
What's this?
The authors story sounds plausible and they're right that iPhones on Fi use T-Mobile. And I say this as a very long term, happy Fi customer myself.