Project Fi Announced from Google

Project Fi is announced and awesome and we have service in our area.

https://fi.google.com/

Best part that I love: "On Project Fi however, you’ll get money back for the data you don’t use. So let’s say you pay for 10GB but you only use 6GB. You’ll automatically get back $40 for the 4GB you didn’t use."

Now I need your help - who has a Nexus 6 they want to give me?

Good.  Shaking up the cell phone business is a good thing.

If you want a shake up wait until this is available: https://fiber.google.com/about/

From what I hear it will be about $45 a month and we will truly be able to cut the cord with the Cable companies and just stream everything! 

Yeah, but its gonna be a while before the get to us. I just cant wait until everything we do is governed by Google

If you're a baseball fan in NY I don't think you can cut the cord if you want to watch either the Mets on SNY or the Yankees on YES. MLB.com would black out those games I think. I believe I need the cord. If someone can explain to me how I don't that would be most welcome.

Good thing I don't watch sports. But I am pretty sure they wouldn't block on Google Fiber. They have many, if not most, of the same channels the other carriers have. Here are all the sports channels the Kansas City Google Fiber has: https://fiber.google.com/cities/kansascity/channels/

pmartinezv said:

If you want a shake up wait until this is available: https://fiber.google.com/about/

From what I hear it will be about $45 a month and we will truly be able to cut the cord with the Cable companies and just stream everything! 

 There is almost no chance this will be available here. Google has said they have no plans for a truly national roll-out. They currently have fewer than five cities with service, and it's not likely they'l have more than ten before the end of the decade.

Here are the expansion plans: https://fiber.google.com/newcities/

Currently 3 live, 5 being built out, and 4 on the radar. 

scottgreenstone said:

Good thing I don't watch sports. But I am pretty sure they wouldn't block on Google Fiber. They have many, if not most, of the same channels the other carriers have. Here are all the sports channels the Kansas City Google Fiber has: https://fiber.google.com/cities/kansascity/channels/

 They would block mlb.com for the local games. I just checked to see if I could pay for mlb.com to watch the game on my computer and the Mets game is blocked out because SNY is broadcasting it. 

The cellphone service "Project Fi" sounds great but it only will work with one mobile device - a Nexus 6.  

I am on the list for an invite but I am not sure if I want to change phones. ( I love my OnePlus One.)

That is unfortunate. Another reason to hate sports

I just got accepted to the early adopter program. 

@scottgreenstone, do you have the Nexus 6 already?

@kmk nope

Wow, this looks really tempting. Mrs. 37 and I have been clinging to our 1st gen Droid Razr Maxx phones because we're among the last holdouts grandfathered in on Verizon's unlimited data plan. We lose it if we go for an upgrade, but the phones don't perform very well anymore anyway. Have to check our actual data usage, crunch some numbers and see if it's worth making the switch.

@scottgreenstone, Interesting!  

I am waiting to hear back from them myself... didn't realize the phone might be "underwritten".  Such exciting times.  

Sometimes I simply love disruption! Utilities, car manufacturers, operating systems, vacation rentals, taxi service  etc. can all be improved with good old-fashioned competition.

@kmk its not being underwritten. 

@scottgreenstone, cool!  

Don't you think, going forward,  Google will need to provide some equipment incentives (in addition to the awesome new service) to convince folks to first switch devices and then join Fi?

@scottgreenstone - Looking at this some more and it sounds really cool. What are your thoughts on risks of early adoption?

@kmk, less than 5%of the entire phone market is Nexus 6 and that is great. They won't get inundated at the start so it will be easier for testing this out.  More phone will be coming out this year I believe that will be compatible. Even the rumored 2015 Nexus 5 I bet will be low cost and compatible. I don't think they need to provide equipment incentives simply because it's google and people will switch just because of that.

@project37 I see zero risk because of no contact. If it don't work, switch back. Only concerns are for those in contacts that may have a fee for breaking the contract

From Bloomberg Business:

“Fi won’t make it if it depends on Nexus alone,” he says.  

It wont depend on Nexus alone - I am willing to bet more phones start getting announced after the early adopter program begins. 

Project Fi full help site was launched today. Lots of great information here: https://support.google.com/fi#topic=4596407

I wouldnt be surprised if first batch of invites go out over the weekend or early next week.

I'm not sure about this nexus 6. It's HUGE compared to the nexus 5.

Without going into too much detail, you are all going to be very very impressed with Project Fi. More in the coming days.

Scott - can you talk a little more about the Nexus 6? How is the build? I remember being surprised at how "cheap" the first Nexus felt - I had the first Droid which was a tank and my old Razr Maxx feels pretty solid. Never had a case on either and they've survived a few drops.

My main concern with a device like this is battery life.

I thought the Nexus 5 was and is an awesome device.  The N6 is great, but BIG. I can't do one handed stuff comfortably yet, albeit  its only been 12 hours and 7 of them were while I was sleeping LOL.

The phone is not very grippy, so despite my desire to keep it naked with no case, I think I am going to get a clear TPU thingy over the weekend.

The device is fast has well. It did get very warm during setup, but it was downloading tons of stuff, so that is expected.  Regular use so far it has not gotten very warm.

The speed charger is exactly what it says - the thing charged from 23% to full in about an hour.

More on Fi soon.

@project37 another thing I am having a tough time with is the button placement is dramtically different from the N5 and the power/volume buttons I feel are too close to each other.