Google launched its own cell service, Project Fi, last year. However, the service was invite only upon launch. Well, that restriction has now lifted, so anyone can sign up to use the service, as long as they have the right smartphone.
Of course, getting an invitation before now certainly wasn’t that difficult. As long as prospective users had the right phone, they could ask Google for an invite, and chances were that they got one. Still, for those interested in the service, it will be nice to bypass the invitation process.
In promotion of Project Fi, Google is putting its Nexus 6P smartphone on sale for only $200, which is a cool $150 off the original price. That sale will continue for the next few months, but it will only be available to those who activate the device through Project Fi.
Project Fi itself runs through the networks of T-Mobile and Sprint. It basically uses whichever network is offering the strongest signal at any given time. Customers pay a base fee of $20, and can then pay $10 per 1GB of data after that. The real kicker, however, is that users are refunded for any data that they paid for but don’t use, and they can put that money towards the next month’s bill.
The plan includes unlimited domestic calls and texts, Wi-Fi tethering, 3G coverage, and texts in more than 120 countries.
There is one major drawback — only customers using Google’s Nexus phones are able to sign up to the service. So far, there are only three phones that support Project Fi: the original Nexus 6, the Nexus 5X, and the Nexus 6P. The service will also work on some LTE tablets, including the newer Nexus tablets, iPads, and Samsung tablets. Reports indicate that some users have been able to activate the service using other phones, however, that’s anything but guaranteed.
