Six months with Project Fi: No invite needed, Nexus 5X starting at $199
About 10 months ago, Google launched its Project Fi service. It kicked off as an invite-only network, it took me about three months to get an invite, but today Google announced that anyone in the US who is interested in the service can now sign up without an invite.
Nexus 6P review:
You will need a compatible handset to use Project Fi so to help bring in customers, Google is offering a Nexus 5X starting at just $199 when you buy it as you sign up for the service. The Nexus 5X normally starts at $349 so this is an attractive launch offer for new Project Fi customers.
After attending the Google Nexus launch event last summer, I was sent a Nexus 6P (see my Google Nexus 6P full review) to evaluate. As part of a full evaluation, I signed up for Google Project Fi in October and have been using it as my secondary carrier for about the past six months.
Google stated the following about the data it has collected on Project Fi customers over the past 10 months:
- 15 percent have used Project Fi outside the US. The service supports more than 120 countries.
- Over 50 percent are connecting to public hotspots using Wi-Fi Assistant on a weekly basis.
- Customers are using an average of 1.6GB of data per month.
- Customers prefer to call in to talk to support and data shows they speak to a live person in 20 seconds or less 95 percent of the time.
My March statement arrives next week, but over the last five months the total that I have paid to Google for service has been $36.41. I have had monthly bill totals of $44.71, -$19.11, $12.61, -$13.85, and $12.05. As you can see I have been getting credits back when I don't use the data and expect another credit this month. Given the low cost of Project Fi as my secondary service, I plan to increase my usage over the next six months and start thinking about it as a primary service.
As you can see I had the 2GB plan the first month, but have since backed down to the 1GB plan. This is only usage on the Sprint/T-Mobile Project Fi network. All of my usage on WiFi does not count against my plan fees.
Project Fi pricing is simply $20 for Fi Basics, which includes unlimited calling, unlimited text messages, and 24/7 support. Data is billed at $10 per GB and if you are under the level you pay for then you get credits. You only pay for what you use with Project Fi.