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Wireless Networking Businesses Google

Google Fi Gets Third Rebrand In 8 Years (arstechnica.com) 33

Posted by BeauHD from the new-and-improved dept.
Google Fi, Google's cellular service, is getting its third rebrand in eight years. Ars Technica reports: First it was Project Fi, then Google Fi, and now it's "Google Fi Wireless." It also has its third logo, and this one's kind of clever: It's an "F" styled to look like sideways signal bars and in Google's trademark rainbow colors. There is also now a free trial mode. Google is harnessing the power of remotely configurable eSIMs to give anyone with an eSIM-compatible phone a seven-day/10GB free trial of Google Fi. That makes it easy to run around and test coverage.

Google Fi is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) -- a cellular reseller -- of T-Mobile's network, so whatever your T-Mobile coverage is like, that's what Fi is like. Google says that during the trial, "We'll give you a new Fi number to try out on your phone, but your current number will still work. During the trial, you can choose between Fi or your current network whenever you're calling, texting, or using mobile data." You'll need to enter a credit card for the trial, and after seven days, you'll be automatically billed on a $50 "Simply Unlimited" plan. Google notes you can cancel immediately (this is just one or two taps inside the app) and will still get the seven-day trial.
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Google Fi Gets Third Rebrand In 8 Years More

Google Fi Gets Third Rebrand In 8 Years

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  • Google FU? (Score:3)

    by Vomitgod ( 6659552 ) on Wednesday April 19, 2023 @09:02PM (#63463618)

    Given how Google cuts everything - should it be branded Google FU?

  • You're welcome. Just give me some shares of Google stock and we'll call it good.

  • You can get "unlimited everything" on T-Mobile's own Metro brand for $40/mo. Though I've heard their customer service is absolutely horrible, Dish has been running promos for a $25/mo unlimited plan on their Boost MVNO brand that they acquired during the Sprint/T-Mobile merger. If you're not a fan of T-Mobile's network, Cricket (AT&T's answer to Metro) has a unlimited plan that's $50/mo after auto pay, and arguably AT&T's coverage is generally superior to T-Mobile's. Last but not least, Verizon b

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by AuMatar ( 183847 )

      That's not the plan you use to save money. Get the Flexible plan- $20 per month for unlimited talk and text, and $10 per GB for data, with a max charge of $60 a month for data. I almost never pay more than $30 a month, because I'm always on wifi. Add in the ability to use multiple networks (Sprint or Tmobile), and the data price staying the same in 100+ countries and it's a great plan.

      • Get the Flexible plan- $20 per month for unlimited talk and text, and $10 per GB for data, with a max charge of $60 a month for data.

        That's literally terrible unless you rarely use your phone for any smartphone-type stuff. Granted, the plan I'm on would require a time machine for anyone to get, but I pay $25 for unlimited everything on a grandfathered Sprint plan that got migrated to T-Mobile after the merger. Fine print says I get 50GB of high speed data per month, so I'm streaming FLAC with a big fat grin.

        To be honest, if you really don't need a lot of data you can probably do better on one of Straight Talk's plans, and that runs on

    • Comment removed based on user account deletion

  • Biggest problem with Google (Score:5, Interesting)

    by slazzy ( 864185 ) on Wednesday April 19, 2023 @09:25PM (#63463654) Homepage Journal
    This is one of the biggest problems I have with Google. I've bought my kids Android tablets (because they are cheaper and kids break stuff) and the message app has changed names three times in just a few years from google hangouts, google meet, google chat, google duo I can't even remember what the thing is called. Gave up and bought iPads so they can use Messages to reach in case they need to. In 10 years Apple Messages will still be called Messages and Google will probably will have gone through 10 more names and confusing changes.
    • That isn't rebranding, those are actually different products. Google has a heck of a time not reinventing the chat app every few years.

    • Android's built-in SMS app has always been called "Messages" on the Android phones I've had. If SMS isn't good enough, then you could look at whatever proprietary service Google is pushing, you could even use Apple's if they've decided to port it.

      Of course, that won't help if installing software presents a difficulty to you, or if having to click on something that's not called "Messages" is a problem.

      • Android's built-in SMS app has always been called "Messages" on the Android phones I've had.

        The OP was talking about Android Tablets.

        Android tablets typically do not have phone numbers that can receive SMS texts - Only "phones" have and support this feature. If you want to message an Android tablet you need to use a different mechanism that keys off the Google ID.

  • - OK by me - (Score:3)

    by swell ( 195815 ) <jabberwock@poetic.com> on Wednesday April 19, 2023 @09:45PM (#63463692)

    I'm happy with FI after many years.

    I started with the fancy Google Nexus phone. At the time, FI was connected to two cellular networks; the phone could connect to whichever was stronger at a location, or to wifi if it was stronger. It could easily jump from one source to another if I was moving around. I never had a problem connecting to voice calls, unlike when I was limited to one cellular network.

    But I'm an Apple guy and it works fine with my iPhone these days. The iPhone also has access to my free Google Voice phone number.

    Can't say much about their data service; I've never used it. Everywhere I go there is wifi. As a result I pay around $23/mo for cellular only. Data doesn't doesn't seem to be a bargain at Google FI.

    No drama, never a problem, highly recommended. You may find a lower price, I don't think you will find a better service.

    • You may find a lower price, I don't think you will find a better service.

      I think you're missing the part that they're a MVNO. You're not using special "Google" towers, you're using T-Mobile's network. If you find a cheaper plan that uses the same network, you'll receive the same service.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Amouth ( 879122 )

      Agreed i swapped to FI back in 2016 - honestly it's been fantastic - simple billing, i love using the core android on quality hardware - and the plan cost vs, coverage has been fantastic - especially for international trips. I've got my whole family on it (3 phones and a tablet) for cheaper than a single phone on AT&T...

      At this point i don't care what they rename it as - just don't F'in kill it like the other Google Projects.. I've got ~10y left where i need a work phone, after that they can do what t

    • I'm happy with FI after many years.

      Fi is the tops for travel. I'm currently traveling abroad and the prices are the same. The data is still unlimited. When I compare with my AT&T experience it is night and day.

  • And I thought Microsoft had a product renaming issue... lol
    • SQL Server hasn't changed names in the almost 35 years since Microsoft bought it in 1988, Word has been Word for 40 years since 1983. What flagship app of Microsoft's has gone through frequent name changes?
  • Calling it a "rebrand" is being rather generous. xD

  • "First it was Project Fi, then Google Fi, and now it's "Google Fi Wireless." That's two rebrands, not three.

  • "anyone with an eSIM-compatible phone"

    Based on previous Google defenitions of "everyone", I am suspecting that they may mean "4.5% of everyone".

  • When pichai took over google, early on, he set 2 year limits to pixel security updates. The guy was plain EVIL for that, as well as stupid. The IDEAL phone for putting on FI is not a brand-new phone, but a used pixel that goes to the kids.
    My 14 month pixel 5a died last week and after finding out that iPhone has 10+ years update, well, I will NEVER buy anything from google again.

    Pichai is just plain evil.

  • Though I doubt he'd come cheap, given the hundreds of millions he made off of the sale of Mint Mobile, and that he presumably stills draws a paycheck for remaining on, associated with the brand.

    Ooh, hiring Wolverine/Hugh Jackman might yield a great bang for the buck, especially as he will be in the next Deadpool film, IIRC.

  • Remember. . . (Score:3)

    by BytePusher ( 209961 ) on Thursday April 20, 2023 @10:23AM (#63464776) Homepage
    If Google decides to delete your account you'll also lose your cell service. You'll essentially have a total communications blackout at the whim of Google's algorithms and low wage corporate censors. So if you use Google Fi, be sure to never have the unsanctioned opinion of the week, past, present or future.

    • If Google decides to delete your account you'll also lose your cell service. You'll essentially have a total communications blackout at the whim of Google's algorithms and low wage corporate censors. So if you use Google Fi, be sure to never have the unsanctioned opinion of the week, past, present or future.

      Alternatively, don't use your YouTube channel account for Fi. Google accounts are free.

      Also, while the scenario you're alluding to is possible, it's really, really, really rare. Out of tens (maybe hundreds?) of billions of Google accounts, it's happened to a few dozen... and not for having "the unsanctioned opinion of the week", but for pretty egregious abusive behavior.

  • 20 bucks + taxes a month per line. Ends up being about 22 per line, and we never run out of data.

  • And again when we see Unlimited we see "Unlimited high-speed data in the US (up to 10 GB " That's like going to an "all you can eat" buffet where you can fill up 2 plates, but after that, you only get one (wing, or clam, or whatever) every 30 minutes. Correct would be to say "10 GB Limit per month of High-speed data, unlimited slow-speed data after that."

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