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Google's Project Fi gets more coverage through US Cellular
Ever since Google launched Project Fi, you've had to hop between just two networks: Sprint and T-Mobile. But what if you're in an area where one or neither is particularly great? You might have an easier time of things after today. US Cellular has signed up as Project Fi's third partner, giving you both better overall coverage and a greater chance of staying on speedy LTE data. You should see it reach your phone sometime in the "coming weeks." It's probably not the additional network you were hoping for (AT&T or Verizon, anyone?), but it could mean the difference between a rock-solid connection and having to wait for WiFi.
Google's Project Fi no longer requires an invitation to join
After nearly a year, Google is ready to drop the velvet ropes that have kept Project Fi off-limits for most Americans. As of today, anyone in the US can sign up for the simpler, data-centric wireless service without requiring an invitation -- if you're tired of your existing carrier charging for more data than you use, you can jump ship at any time. You'll still need a Project Fi-friendly smartphone (the Nexus 5X, 6 or 6P) or tablet (the Nexus 9, newer iPads or the Galaxy Tab S) for this to work. However, Google is sweetening the pot by discounting the Nexus 5X to as little as $199 if you buy it at the same time as you activate service. That's a good deal if you're already in the market for a mid-range Android phone.
Google's Fi wireless service now supports data-only devices
If you ever wished you could have Google's Project Fi wireless service on your tablet as well as your Nexus phone, well now you can. Google announced today that Project Fi now has support for data-only devices on top of its existing phone service. Even if you have a primary Project Fi SIM card, you can request an order for a data-only SIM that you can use with a compatible tablet -- it should work with any unlocked tablet that also works with T-Mobile. Confirmed compatible tablets include the Nexus 7, the Nexus 9, the iPad Air 2, the iPad mini 4 and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S.
After six months with Google's Project Fi, I'd switch to it if I could
If there's anything that needs disrupting in the US, it's wireless carriers. By and large, Americans pay far too much for our monthly cell phone bills. Additionally, we tolerate practices like data throttling and let's not even mention the terrible international roaming rates. So when Google announced its own Fi wireless service earlier this year, I was pretty excited. Finally, there was a real challenger to the throne of the Big Four that promised to offer a more affordable and more reasonable experience. I hopped on board, got an invite, and have been using it for the past six months with a loaner Nexus 6 and, eventually, a 5X. In sum: If Fi were compatible with my iPhone (or even more Android phones), I'd switch in a heartbeat.
Google is giving out 'instant' Project Fi invitations for one day
If you've been jonesing to ditch your existing phone carrier and try Google's invitation-only Project Fi service, now's the time to act. Google is marking the launches of the Nexus 5X and 6P by giving away "instant" Project Fi invitations over the course of 24 hours -- if you want to sign up, you're in. You'll still need to use the right phone (either of the new Nexus models, or the Nexus 6) and live in an area where either Sprint or T-Mobile provides coverage. So long as those aren't hurdles, though, this is your best chance yet at seeing how Google's simple, multi-network cellular access works in practice.
Google Voice transcriptions will soon actually make sense
One of the most prevalent qualms users have of Google Voice is its occasionally accurate (but usually absurd) interpretations of what's being said. However, with the upcoming public debut of the Project Fi cellular service, Google has reportedly greatly improved its transcription service. According to a post on the company's blog, Google's managed to reduce its transcription error rates by nearly 50 percent by leveraging a "long short-term memory deep recurrent neural network." Users don't even have to change their routine to take advantage of the new system, just keep using Voice and Fi as they always have. [Image Credit: shutterstock]
Google offers a way to check your Project Fi invite status
If you signed up for Google's Project Fi phone service, Mountain View now offers a way to check your invite status. TechCrunch reports the company alerted those who signed up via email about the new feature that displays an estimated wait time after you log-in on the Project Fi site. Its usefulness seems to vary, though, as some folks are seeing 3-4 weeks or 4-8 weeks while others are told to check back later for an estimate. Google said it would take until the middle of the summer to get all of the invites sorted, so those folks may see an update soon. Looking for a quick refresher on the service? We've got you covered right here.
Google's cellular service makes you ditch key Voice features
Are you a long-time Google Voice user? You might not want to sign up for Google's Project Fi service, then. Early adopters who've received an invitation report that you're required to give up important Voice features, including calls, texting and voicemail from within Google Talk, Google Voice and Obihai devices. You'll still get those options in Hangouts (if you turned on support) as well as call forwarding and voicemail transcripts, but you'll otherwise end up with a pale shadow of the phone services you knew before. That could be a worthwhile tradeoff if you like Project Fi's multi-network coverage and simple pricing -- just be sure that you're aware of the consequences.
A cheat sheet to Project Fi, Google's mobile phone service
Rumors of Google breaking into the wireless carrier game have been fodder for scoops, breathless reports and thinkpieces for years now, and for the longest time it looked like the search giant just couldn't make it happen. Yesterday Google put all that to rest. Project Fi is finally here (if invite-only and fully compatible with one phone) -- here's what you absolutely need to know about it.
Google's Project Fi service turns multiple phone networks into one
Got a Nexus 6? Itching to dump your traditional wireless service provider for something a bit more ambitious? Google's got you covered. After months of speculation and a not-so-subtle nod from Sundar Pichai at Mobile World Congress, the search giant's new mobile phone service -- Project Fi -- is finally official. The company's plan is both as savvy and as unorthodox as we'd expect: Instead of trying to build out and maintain its own nationwide network of cell towers and repeaters, Google's instead combining Sprint and T-Mobile's coverage footprints with millions of pre-vetted WiFi hotspots to provide users with the fastest, most seamless mobile experience it can in real-time. Well, that's the plan anyway. You're probably just clamoring for the invite link at this point (here you go), but it's important to note that Google created Fi to fill in the gaps that already exist in our more-mobile-by-the-day lives.
Google's phone service reportedly has you paying by the gigabyte
Google said it would launch the "Nexus" of phone networks in the near future, and we may now have a good idea of what that means. Android Police has unearthed Nexus 6 firmware with an app for Project Fi, which appears to be the in-progress name for Google's wireless service. The code suggests a very different approach to mobile data than you're probably used to, even compared to a pay-for-what-you-use offering like Ting. You'd pay only for the gigabytes you expect to use, and you'd get credit back if you don't use as much as planned. There are no mentions of overage fees (you'd just pay the usual per-gigabyte rate), and Google would be unusual among virtual network operators in its willingness to support multiple lines and data-only devices like tablets.
