Google Fi Cuts New-Customer Wireless Plans to $9 a Month Through Sept. 29

Q: With Google Fi's $9 promo ending in just days, what hidden costs await users when the 12-month honeymoon phase abruptly ends?

The real cost is the price snap-back after 12 months. Google Fi’s promo rates of roughly $9, $13 and $17 a month revert to standard one-line pricing of about $35 for Unlimited Essentials, $50 for Unlimited Standard and $65 for Unlimited Premium. That means a user could see monthly service jump by roughly $26, $37 or $48 before taxes and fees. The less obvious expense is that the advertised promo price is not the full bill even during the discount year. Taxes and regulatory fees are extra, and the offer does not include device financing, device protection or any add-on charges. If a customer finances a phone, that payment continues on top of the plan price. International calling or other non-included usage can also add costs depending on the plan. Value can also fall sharply if a user signed up mainly for the low sticker price rather than Fi’s travel and Google-device perks. Essentials lacks the broader international coverage and hotspot benefits of higher tiers, and users who do not need Premium’s roaming, tablet connectivity, Google One storage or YouTube Premium may find Fi expensive once full pricing starts. There is no contract, which limits the downside: users can leave before the higher rates kick in. But anyone joining for the $9 headline should budget for a much larger bill in year two, because the biggest “hidden cost” is not a penalty fee — it is standard pricing returning all at once.

1 articles · Updated · Android Police · Sep 21

$9 a month is Google Fi’s new entry price for wireless service, with the promotion limited to new customers who bring their own phones and lasting for one year.
Three discounted tiers are included: Unlimited Essentials at $9 with 30GB of high-speed data, Unlimited Standard at $13 with 50GB plus 25GB of hotspot data, and Unlimited Premium at $17 with 100GB plus 50GB of hotspot data.
Unlimited Premium also adds data in more than 200 destinations, tablet and laptop connectivity, 100GB of Google One storage and six months of YouTube Premium, while Standard includes Canada and Mexico data.
Google Fi says there is no annual contract, and the offer runs until Sept. 29, after which customers revert to standard rates.