Google Fi has been around for north of a decade now and it still feels like the weird, smart kid in the back of the wireless-carrier room. It’s not quite a major carrier, but it’s much more than just a budget MVNO.
And it’s one of the only tech services I’ve been using for years and years that hasn’t changed all that much or arbitrarily and routinely jacked up its prices. My bill has looked the same for a long, long time.
So if you’re tired of the Big Three and you’re thinking about jumping ship, here’s the reality of life on Google’s network.
Seamless international travel
If you’ve ever landed in a foreign country only to be greeted by a $10-a-day “travel pass” notification from your carrier, you know the pain.
With Google Fi’s $65 Unlimited Plus and $30+ Flexible plan, your data just works in over 200 countries at no extra charge. You step off the plane, turn off airplane mode, and you’re back on Instagram before you hit customs. It’s the single best feature for anyone who frequently uses their passport.
Free data-only SIMs
Most carriers want to charge you an extra $10 or $20 a month to add a tablet, cell-equipped laptop, or a backup phone to your plan. Fi lets you order data-only SIM cards for free.
You just pop them into whichever device you want to connect, and they tap into your existing data bucket. It’s an elegant solution for tech hoarders who want their secondary devices to actually be useful away from Wi-Fi.
