Discounts on Nexus phones accompany announcement
Google is hoping to lure more customers to its Google Project Fi mobile service by adding more international coverage. The company said it has partnered with U.K. carrier Three to offer more roaming destinations and faster speeds. Google said the partnership with Three will help enable international data speeds that will be 10-times faster than in the past.
Google Fi uses Wi-Fi hot spots to offer voice and data on Google’s Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X and Nexus 6 smartphones. When Wi-Fi is not available, the phones use cellular service. Sprint, T-Mobile US and U.S. Cellular are Google’s U.S. partners.
Three is seen as a good choice for Google Fi as it expands internationally as the carrier already has partnerships with other European carriers to enable roaming throughout much of the European Union.
Google said it will offer voice and high-speed data in 135 countries. Google Fi’s $20 per month basic plan includes unlimited domestic talk and text, unlimited international texts, Wi-Fi tethering, and access to cellular coverage in 135 countries. In addition, Google charges $10 per gigabyte per month for cellular data.
Google uses its Hangouts app to enable Google Fi services to extend to other devices. Incoming calls will ring any device signed into Google Hangouts with the same account used for Project Fi. Outgoing calls can be made using the Hangouts app on Android and Apple iOS devices, as well as the Hangouts widget inside Gmail on a computer.
Even though other phones can be integrated with Google Fi, the service still requires the purchase of at least one Nexus phone. To make that a little more appealing this summer, Google for one week beginning July 13, is offering a $150 discount on the Nexus 6P.
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