I loved Google Fi So I Let It Go
I tried Google Fi. I really wanted it to work. The idea of just having a simple, straightforward plan was appealing.
What I found was that it was expensive and worked very poorly on an iPhone. It was not a deal when compared with today’s current pricing.
Google Fi starts out at $20 a month, and then they charge data at $10/Gigabyte until your monthly bill reaches $80.
My T-Mobile plan is a flat $45 a month and includes unlimited data. And, I get 256kb data worldwide that is unlimited. And, I pay the same per-minute charge as Google Fi when roaming.
Now, on T-Mobile to get super-high-speed internet internationally I must upgrade my T-Mobile line with a 1-month calling back for $50, making that month’s total $95. That’s $25 more than Google Fi in those months. But then T-Mobile gives me 15 GB of International data and they waive ALL talk time to or from almost any country.
Google Fi and iPhones have never really been friends. And, I discovered that if you install Google Fi on your iPhone and then switch to another sSIM like Verizon or T-Mobile your iPhone really never works well again. Text messages and MMS seem to get rather permanently hosed by the Google-Fi settings that never get forgotten about.
Oh, and then there are those taxes, administrative fees, universal service charges, and endless gotchas that would often add over 20% to the bill.
I think there was a time and a place for Google Fi. But what was once an unbelievable deal is by today’s standards not competitive.
I think T-Mobile has found a good price-point with their Magenta plans, and Magenta Plus is pretty good for travelers.
So I terminated my Google Fi plan today. Bye bye.