In the three years since its launch, Google’s Project Fi has one of the most reasonable phone plans out there, but it’s been tough to recommend because the service is compatible with so few phones. That’s changing today: the company is adding support for a whole lot more phones, including official iPhone compatibility for the first time. To prove its serious about this network enterprise, Project Fi is also getting a new, more official name: Google Fi.
As recap, Fi operates primarily on the T-Mobile and Sprint Networks, offers a truly sensible data plan in which you just pay for what you use, and has some clever techniques to switch between Wi-Fi and LTE to maximize your phone’s data performance. But all that is meaningless if the phones you want aren’t actually available.
That said, to get the best network performance, you’ll still need a phone designed for Fi – the ones that worked on the network before. These devices include special hardware and software that allow them to seamlessly switch between networks. Other phones will operate as they would with a normal carrier, though you may need to do some tweaking to get the best performance. Google even built a Fi for iOS app to help ease Apple users through the transition.
To celebrate Google Fi’s big launch, the company is offering a neat perk, valid only today:
Today only, whether you’re new to Fi or already one of our subscribers, when you buy a phone from Google Fi, you can vacation on us, too. For any phone you purchase, you’ll receive the same value back in your choice of travel gift cards, which you can spend on flights with Delta and Southwest or lodging with Airbnb and hotels.com. Alternatively, if you’d rather set up Google Fi on your current phone, you’ll earn $200 of Fi service credit when you sign up today.
The 💜 of EU tech
The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!
You can check to see whether your phone is compatible and which Fi features it supports here.
Get the TNW newsletter
Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.