Hello RW Community! I made a rocky transition to RW 5.0 early on. I quickly switched to Google Fi Simply Unlimited as my RW credit (from annual conversion) ran out. Here’s my review of Google Fi.
Summary: Google Fi’s “Simply Unlimited” is an affordable plan for a family of four or more people. All the data you need, plus tethering, for an affordable price. Occasional incentives might make the time right for you.
The Network: T-Mobile + US Cellular
The “Simply Unlimited” Plan
The pricing I’m describing is current as of this post for families with four lines or more. The pricing per line stays the same for four, five, and six lines. The pricing quickly gets worse for three, two, and one line.
Four lines or more: $20 per line. 35 GB of 5G data until your data slows. 5GB of tethered data. Unlimited calling and texting. Data and calling works in the US, Canada, and Mexico.
There is no contract.
Incentives
From time to time Google Fi will offer HUGE incentives to switch in the form of bill credits, financing deals, and other mechanisms. I moved four lines over in the Spring of 2022. Three of us needed new phones. We were able to buy three Pixel 6s ($600 value) for $400 each. We were also offered and accepted two years interest-free financing on the phone purchases. My daughter moved over an existing Pixel 4XL that we had and we were given a $100 credit for moving an existing phone over. I also got $20 off for plugging in someone’s referral code. All together that was $720 in incentives to switch.
Migration Experience
My experience of going from RW 5.0 to Google Fi “Simply Unlimited” was a breeze. Google Fi gathers porting information from you ahead of time, while your phones are shipping. When you get your phones and log into your Google accounts on them it brings in all the porting information. Each line took from minutes to a maximum of an hour to port from RW 5.0 into Google Fi.
Three out of four phone transitions were smooth, but the fourth phone for my mom died! The phone, a brand new Pixel 6, started overheating and the display started having anomalies. I did a text chat with Google and after some brief troubleshooting they shipped me a new phone which arrived in a couple days. We were able to activate that phone with no issues.
Also, there are no APN settings, tricks, or gotchyas. These phone just plain work once you go through the porting process. A very smooth, mature transition.
Usage Experience
We’re using our Google Fi phones in the northern suburban/exoburban transition area of Detroit. I haven’t had any issues with reception for normal usage. Data works fine. I can generally stream video and surf the web as much as I want. Calling and texting is good.
I do have one challenge area. When I take my daughter to orchestra practice I wait in the car and watch Netflix\Hulu for two hours. I’ve found that 5G tethering in this area is problematic but can be resolved by placing my phone on top of my car, outside of the Faraday cage of my mid-size SUV. Once I do that I’m able to watch HD video on my laptop.
WiFi calling is crystal clear and works flawlessly out of the box.
The Google Fi app is easy to use and tells you how much data you’ve used, including how much tethering data. You can also view the information from the Google Fi website as well.
Additional Pricing Information for “Simply Unlimited”
Four lines or more: $20 per line
Three lines: $25 per line
Two lines: $40 per line
One line: $50 per line
