On iPhones, Google Fi Loses Its Sexiest Feature

Google Fi adding support for iPhones is getting a lot of press today because, well, Google and Apple are popular brand names. But buried in the announcement's tech details, you find out that iPhones won't support Google Fi's most killer feature, so other low-cost carriers may be better for you.

Google Fi, previously Project Fi, is one of dozens of virtual wireless carriers called MVNOs, which piggyback on major carrier networks. When used with a Google Pixel or another phone sold directly by Fi, Google's MVNO has a unique power: it can combine the Sprint, T-Mobile, and US Cellular networks to create a "super network" unlike any other MVNO.

That is a strong argument for pairing Google Fi with a $799 Google Pixel 3, one of our picks for best Andoid phones and the one I use personally right now. Fi also offers some other less expensive, still high-quality Android phones, such as the $749 LG G7 (my wife's phone) and the $249 Moto G6.

All of these phones will flip between T-Mobile, Sprint, and US Cellular coverage. If you need AT&T or Verizon, that won't help you. But it will give you better coverage and speeds than just one of those networks. I find that to be Fi's sexiest and most unique feature, but it only works on Google's small list of Fi-approved phones.

On other phones, such as iPhones, Fi is just a T-Mobile MVNO. It still has some benefits: simple billing ($20 base plus a dynamically charged $10/GB with a maximum of $85/line); and free international roaming, which has endeared Fi to many people.

That international roaming deal is choice, and if you travel internationally, it may make the decision for you.

If you aren't blinded by the Google branding, and you don't travel internationally, you can get better deals for your iPhone. Remember, for iPhones, Fi is just the T-Mobile network.

Google isn't shy or misleading about this, but I think it's getting lost in a lot of the press reports. Google has an honest coverage map up on its site, which lets you flip between "Designed for Fi" coverage and "Compatible with Fi" coverage.

These iPhone Options Are Cheaper Than Fi

For unlimited data, T-Mobile's Metro sub-brand kicks Fi in the pants on price. Metro is currently running a promotion with $50 unlimited data, or $120 for four lines of unlimited data. If you are going to push over 3GB per month, that's going to be cheaper than Fi.

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If you use less, let's take a look at Mint Mobile. Once again, it's T-Mobile. Mint has an $18/month 2GB plan or $24/month 5GB plan if you buy six months at a time. Those amounts of usage would be $40 for 2GB or $70 for 5GB with Fi.

Ting has an interesting proposal for family plans, provided you're not data hogs. It's part of a group of similar carriers (like Tello, Twigby, and US Mobile) that have very flexible create-your-own plans. So on Ting you could build, say, three lines with 500 shared minutes, a huge ton of texts, and 2GB of shared data for $58 total, under $20 per line.

All of these companies have been around for a while, all have worked with iPhones for a while, and all use the same T-Mobile network as Google Fi does. What they lack is Google's brand recognition and Fi's international roaming.

I have a big roundup of MVNO plans in my story, The Best Cheap Cell Phone Plans You've Never Heard Of. If this is your first venture into the world beyond AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon, take a look. Google Fi is just the beginning.