New Google Fi Cell plans – unlimited data for $30 • Hacker News Board

Re: New Google Fi Cell plans – unlimited data for $30

#51

Post by qzx_pierri » Thu, Apr 22, 2021, 9:56 PM UTC

mdasen wrote: post #41

Is it actually unlimited if it's just 22GB? Most carriers offer unlimited data now that becomes deprioritized at a certain point. That means that if the network is congested, other customers are prioritized above them. However, this isn't deprioritization. This is a plan that is throttled down to 256kbps. Before the return of unlimited, most carriers got rid of overage charges and just slowed phones down to 2G speeds…

It's for people that still trust Google in terms of long term reliability for whatever reason. They think Google won't randomly shut down the service, offering a bland support page for help porting their number to a new carrier (with a gift card thrown in possibly).

As good as Fi sounds, I just can't see it lasting.

Re: New Google Fi Cell plans – unlimited data for $30

#52

Post by causality0 » Thu, Apr 22, 2021, 9:56 PM UTC

This just seems like a worse version of Mint Mobile's unlimited plan. Same T-Mobile network coverage and less high speed data (22GB vs 35GB). Also Google is going to try to block your hotspot from using high-speed data but I don't know how successful they are at that. Also the Mint pricing is the same $30 regardless of how many lines you have, if you buy a year of service at a time.

Re: New Google Fi Cell plans – unlimited data for $30

#53

Post by gleenn » Thu, Apr 22, 2021, 9:57 PM UTC

axaxs wrote: post #44

I'll be the cheapskate that asks....I wonder if you can get on the $30 plan then switch to $50 just for the month that you'll be travelling abroad?

They do make it extremely easy to switch plans, pretty sure you can do what you're suggesting with granularity down to a single month.

Re: New Google Fi Cell plans – unlimited data for $30

#54

Post by mdasen » Thu, Apr 22, 2021, 9:57 PM UTC

ixacto wrote: post #27

This is much better than it was before, but Visible is $25 w/ party pay and includes unlimited everything, although tethering is capped at 10mbit.

Tethering becomes capped very quickly on Google Fi given the 22GB limit. After you've used 22GB of data for the month (mobile and tethering), you're down to 256kbps.

Re: New Google Fi Cell plans – unlimited data for $30

#55

Post by gleenn » Thu, Apr 22, 2021, 9:58 PM UTC

Androider wrote: post #47

Unlimited free international data, text and calls for the Plus plan sounds really convenient for travelling, no need to swap to local SIMs. Can you bump your plan up to that for a month in the app, and then back down, hassle free?

Yes, many people suggested doing this for people with expensive travel plans on their main lines, just keep a google fi compatible phone for travel and enable fi when you go for the trip that month. Works great, just use the app to toggle the plan on and off, very simple.

Re: New Google Fi Cell plans – unlimited data for $30

#56

Post by Androider » Thu, Apr 22, 2021, 9:59 PM UTC

rawtxapp wrote: post #31

novok wrote: post #6

One bad thing about google fi is if you forget the google account password & email that you associate with the phone number and don't have a 'backup email' for it, it's near impossible to close the account or similar and have it stop charging your credit card until you do a chargeback. Which also means random people can charge your credit card on a subscription. Google support cannot do anything on their end to get g…

For these kinds of subscriptions, I just use privacy's virtual credit cards, makes it very easy to stop recurring payments if the company makes it a pita to cancel.

That sounds like a great way to get your entire Google Account permanently banned with no appeal.

Re: New Google Fi Cell plans – unlimited data for $30

#57

Post by kgrin » Thu, Apr 22, 2021, 9:59 PM UTC

Not to derail to an unrelated complaint about Fi, but it's absolutely wild that if you want to do a 3-way call from your Google Pixel phone using Google Fi service, you can't do it from WiFi (or rather, if you don't turn off WiFi before you start the call, then you'll be muted).

Apparently it's a sort-of-known issue, the workaround is to turn off WiFi before starting your call (wtf?) or use another carrier.

Google, wyd?

Re: New Google Fi Cell plans – unlimited data for $30

#58

Post by tomcam » Thu, Apr 22, 2021, 10:00 PM UTC

MisterBastahrd wrote: post #18

Benjamin_Dobell wrote: post #8

Data slower after: 22GB > Anyone who uses more than 15 GB on Flexible or 22 GB on the unlimited plans in a single cycle will experience slower data until the next cycle (only 1% of people who use Fi ever hit 22 GB). If you want to return to faster data before the cycle's end, you can do so at a rate of $10/GB.

My gf spends about an hour and a half every day browsing on her phone and watching video while waiting to pick the kids up for school. Only once did she ever breach 15 gigs, and that was during the recent Texas icestorm when we didn't have power for a week.

In other news, here’s to not having to use the phrase “Texas ice storm” anytime soon...

Re: New Google Fi Cell plans – unlimited data for $30

#59

Post by barbazoo » Thu, Apr 22, 2021, 10:00 PM UTC

niyazpk wrote: post #48

Really wish they'd start supporting Canada. I recently moved to Canada from the US, and I have been using my US Fi number here in Canada too, but I'm dreading the day they will reach out to stop services on my number. (You cannot permanently use a Google Fi number outside the US right now).

Do you think they care? Do they have rules around residency? I did a bit of searching and found people saying you can sign up and use it in Canada without issues as long as you can provide a US address which shouldn't be a problem, especially that you don't need a physical SIM anymore if your phone supports that.

However I was wondering if this is actually a good deal for us Canadians. I'm with Fido and pay CAD65 for unlimited calling, text and 10GB of data which is less than the USD60 that I saw online. That includes roaming between US/Canada/Mexico but at least right now and for the coming months, that's of little value.

Re: New Google Fi Cell plans – unlimited data for $30

#60

Post by rawtxapp » Thu, Apr 22, 2021, 10:03 PM UTC

Androider wrote: post #56

rawtxapp wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For these kinds of subscriptions, I just use privacy's virtual credit cards, makes it very easy to stop recurring payments if the company makes it a pita to cancel.

That sounds like a great way to get your entire Google Account permanently banned with no appeal.

Credit cards expire or are cancelled all the time.