With Its New Plans, Is Google Fi Finally Competitive Again?

Is Google Fi now more competitive with its new plans?

4 votes

Google Fi adds a new plan and improves the rest, too

While Google Fi’s Flexible plan remains mostly unchanged, the two existing unlimited plans have been revamped, and a third, more affordable plan has joined the lineup. Here’s a brief overview of the updated plans:

• Google Fi Unlimited Essentials: A no-frills plan starting at $35 for a single line, or as low as $23 per line with five or more. Includes 30GB of high-speed data and free connectivity for Pixel and Galaxy watches.
• Google Fi Unlimited Standard: Starts at $50, or $25 per line with four or more lines. Offers 50GB of high-speed data, 25GB of hotspot tethering, and international features like free data in Canada and Mexico and free calls to 200+ countries from the US.
• Google Fi Unlimited Premium: Starts at $65 per line (or $40 with four+), and offers 100GB of high-speed data, 50GB of tethering, data use in over 200 countries, connectivity for tablets/laptops, 100GB of Google One storage, and a 6-month YouTube Premium trial.

Before the update, I argued that Google Fi didn’t suit my needs, mainly because I prefer Verizon’s coverage where I live. This point remains a big one for me, but that wasn’t the only reason. I also felt Fi was overpriced unless you were a frequent international traveler or a die-hard fan of the Google ecosystem.

Here were my two biggest gripes, aside from the network coverage:

• Google Fi Unlimited plans were not actually unlimited. Data caps were firm, with slowdowns to sub-256Kbps after 30-50GB, which felt extremely limiting.
• The value just wasn’t there for average users, especially if you only needed one or two lines. Pricing was simply too high compared to the competition.

The data caps still exist, but with new limits of 50-100GB, that’s more than sufficient for most users with stable Wi-Fi at home. Plus, the new entry-level plan is a solid option for families or those seeking a cheaper unlimited option. We also can’t expect Google to compete with the truly unlimited plans like Visible and Mint, as these are owned by Verizon and T-Mobile, respectively. Since Google doesn’t control the network directly, it can only offer so much data without losing money on the deal.

International features

This is where Google Fi shines. No other prepaid provider offers international coverage that’s this comprehensive and seamless. Depending on the plan, you’ll get:

• Free calls and texts to 200+ destinations from the US.
• Up to 50GB of high-speed roaming data in over 200 countries, including Canada and Mexico (with speeds dropping to 256Kbps afterward).

While many prepaid carriers allow international calling within the US, only a few offer meaningful roaming data without extra fees. Here’s how a few major prepaid competitors compare:

• US Mobile: You’ll get up to 20GB of unlimited data in hundreds of countries, depending on the network (Dark Star, Light Speed, or Warp) selected with your US Mobile plan.
• Cricket: You’ll get free call/text roaming in Canada and Mexico on nearly all of its plans, which start around $30 (or less for those with multiple lines).
• Visible: Visible Plus and Plus Pro offer unlimited talk, text, and data in Mexico and Canada. You’ll also get at least one monthly Global Pass, and you can hoard up to 12 to be used all at once during your travels.
• Mint Mobile: Free talk and text roaming to Canada and Mexico. Optional paid Minternational passes cost around $2 per gig of data on average and work in hundreds of countries.
• Metro by T-Mobile: Although there are optional paid international calls within the US, there are no comprehensive international features available.
• Tello: Although Tello does offer international calls within the US like the rest of these options, there are no international roaming features available here.

As you can see, a few options come close, but no one has Google Fi’s level of international support. It’s also worth noting Google Fi is known for working with minimal fuss as soon as you land in a new country, whereas APN issues and other hiccups are much more common with Fi Wireless’ prepaid competition.

Network provider and priority level

T-Mobile reserves high-priority network access for its mid and high-tier postpaid users. Google Fi customers are the one exception. That’s a big advantage over most prepaid carriers, which often operate on lower-priority tiers.

So, how do the other prepaid carriers compare to Google Fi here? Some actually come pretty close, while others offer deprioritized data:

• US Mobile: Offers higher-priority data on some plans/networks.
• Cricket: High-tier plan includes priority data on AT&T’s network.
• Visible: Priority data is included on Plus and Plus Pro.
• Mint, Metro, Tello: All use T-Mobile’s lower-priority tiers.

Although no one beats Google Fi in T-Mobile coverage, Visible and a few others do offer high-priority data. Visible even offers truly unlimited priority data on its Plus Pro plan, while Google Fi is limited to 100GB on its highest plan before it throttles down to basically unusable speeds.

While international support is the headline, Google Fi Premium includes some other noteworthy extras:

• Full connectivity for the Pixel and Galaxy smartwatches.
• Limited connectivity for tablets and laptops.
• 100GB of storage with Google One.
• 6 months of YouTube Premium on us.
• Very impressive multi-line discounts.

While I’m not going to dive deeply into all the benefits you’d find with its competitors, here are just a few extras worth mentioning that I haven’t given much attention to yet:

• US Mobile: Not only do you have the ability to pick between all three of the major networks, but there’s even an optional $10-a-month multi-network feature that lets you use two networks at once for improved coverage.
• Cricket: Cricket has thousands of retail stores, Max streaming, and reduced pricing for phone upgrades.
• Visible: You’ll get truly unlimited data on Verizon’s network, including a plan with higher priority data.
• Mint Mobile: Mint has great rates (especially for limited data plans) if you don’t mind paying for a year upfront.
• Metro by T-Mobile: Metro also has thousands of stores and Amazon Prime streaming, as well as free phone promotions and other great features.
• Tello: Tello’s standout feature is that it offers very customizable plans that start as low as $5 a month.

Price range

Google Fi’s unlimited plans start at $35 per month for a single line, dropping to as low as $25 per line with four or more lines. That’s significantly more affordable than the base pricing from any of the major carriers:

• AT&T: $50.99-$85.99 per line, or $30.99-$50.99 per line for four.
• Verizon: $65-$90 per line, or $30-$55 per line for four.
• T-Mobile: $50-$85 per line, or $25-$53.75 per line for four.

Put simply, Google Fi almost always costs less, especially for families or multi-line users.

International features

Google Fi still leads when it comes to international roaming. Its highest-tier plan includes up to 50GB of high-speed data in over 200 countries. In comparison:

• T-Mobile offers 30GB of high-speed data abroad on premium plans.
• Verizon includes 15GB for international use on top-tier plans.
• AT&T doesn’t provide global roaming at the same scale, but does offer unlimited talk, text, and data in 20 Latin American countries on select plans.

If international travel is a priority, Google Fi is the clear winner.

Network provider and priority level

You’ll generally get the best performance directly from the big three, assuming you’re on one of their premium plans. But here’s the catch: all three carriers throttle entry-level plans during network congestion.

Extra benefits and standout features

We’ve already looked at what Google Fi offers, but what might you be missing out on compared to the big three carriers? Here are a few general advantages that apply across AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon:

• Brick-and-mortar support: All three carriers offer in-store service, which can be helpful if you prefer face-to-face support.
• Better overall customer service: While customer support has declined across the board, the big three generally still provide a slightly better experience, both online and by phone, compared to Google Fi.
• More robust device deals and financing: The big three regularly offer generous promotions and flexible financing. Google Fi comes close, but doesn’t quite match the volume or frequency.
• Direct iPhone sales: While Google Fi supports the iPhone, it doesn’t sell it directly. The big three do.
• Network ownership: With AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, you’re on a network they directly operate, giving them more control over upgrades and optimizations.

Beyond that, AT&T doesn’t offer much else unless you live in an area with particularly strong coverage. T-Mobile and Verizon, on the other hand, both provide added value through perks like streaming services. Verizon charges extra for these perks, but at discounted rates compared to subscribing directly.

Here are a few scenarios where Google Fi stands out against both prepaid and postpaid competitors:

• Looking for a cheaper T-Mobile alternative without the usual prepaid throttling? Google Fi offers higher data priority than most other prepaid options.
• Frequent international traveler? Fi’s global data coverage is one of the best you’ll find.
• Families seeking a postpaid-like experience without the high price tag? Google Fi strikes a great balance.
• Pixel owners or Google hardware fans? Fi regularly bundles solid promos for Google devices.

That said, Google Fi isn’t for everyone. If you’re looking for a traditional postpaid experience — with in-store support and premium perks — or if you’re only bringing one or two lines, you may be better off elsewhere. Fi’s $35 entry-level plan isn’t a bad deal for solo users, but Visible offers similar service for the same price, with better value for single-line users.