Google Fi for Travelers

Have you ever heard of Google Fi? If you have found yourself in a foreign county without data, trying to find a coffee shop to get WIFI, this post is for you. I switched from Verizon to Google Fi, a little over a year ago, and this is my review.

https://g.co/fi/r/W43CC1

What is Google Fi?

Google Fi is a service provider that works in over 200 countries. It uses towers from T-mobile, Verizon, and AT@T and connects you to the closest tower. I turn my phone off airplane mode after a long flight and within 10 minutes I have cellular service in that country. The company allowed me to keep my previous phone number as well. This was a huge deal breaker for me.

The Catch?

You are limited in phone selection. They currently have nine phones available for purchase, that automatically switch you from carrier to carrier. Other phones will work, but they will only connect to T-Mobile Towers. I purchased the cheapest phone at the time (The Motorolla x4) at $150 and was pleasantly surprised with the results. For such an inexpensive phone, it held its own. They currently don't have iPhones on their list of phones. So you would have to switch to android. Again, something that might be a dealbreaker for some, but I could care less about. They also run amazing deals on phones when you are ready to purchase a new one. They ship the phone right to your house. I placed the back of my old phone, to the back of my new phone, and all the information was transferred over. All of my previous apps and phone numbers, right on my new phone. It even remembers old saved passwords. Technology these days is incredible!

The Review

I drove my car across the United States and had virtually no problems with the service. It worked better than my previous Verizon phone. There were, of course, dead areas, as I visited the National Parks. This is to be expected from any phone and service. I then tested it out in Italy. The phone worked amazingly. The phone instantly connected to the Italian towers. I also bought an Italian wifi hotspot, and my phone had better internet.

The Cost

It is $20 a month for call and text and $10 per Gigabyte you use. If you do not use a lot of data, your phone bill will be pretty cheap. I, however, use a lot of data because of online teaching. Anything over 6 gigabytes is free. My phone bill ends up being $80 a month, but I do use a lot of data. They released an unlimited option for 70$, which I switched to, saving me $10. They also have a family plan. Saving you a little more money, if you are traveling with a partner or family.

Calls.

It costs $.20 a minute for international calls. I stick to making phone calls over Wifi. I use WhatsApp and Facebook messenger primarily. This isn't a huge deal for me, but it could be for others.

Final Verdict

It works for me. Google Fi is working on adding more phones. As someone who goes to many different countries, I couldn't ask for anything more. If you want a 20 dollar Fi credit use the code W43CC1.

https://g.co/fi/r/W43CC1

I'm hoping that more phones will be released with time and the price of the plan will decrease. I went years before switching to an international plan. This phone plan has saved me so many headaches. When I'm back home in Michigan, I even use it to hotspot my phone, because it is more stable than my home WiFi. I recommend this phone service if you plan on doing a serious amount of travel.

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