Google is apparently extending Project Fi support to the likes of Samsung, Apple, and OnePlus handsets very soon. Additionally, more devices from existing Project Fi partners, LG and Motorola, will be added as well.
In particular, Project Fi support for iPhone is reportedly "in beta." It's not clear whether support rolls out simultaneously for the aforementioned handsets, although iPhone users should expect some bugs and performance hiccups if the report is true.
iPhone Project Fi Support In Beta
News of this Project Fi expansion was first reported by BGR, which apparently violated Google's embargo. The report has since been removed at the time of writing, as The Verge notes, but that didn't stop keen-eyed users from remembering the details, including the part about iPhone support being in beta initially. It's not clear exactly what beta entails for iPhone users, but it's fair to assume some Project Fi features might not be immediately available on rollout, perhaps in part because of Apple's tight control over iOS.
Project Fi
Currently, Project Fi only supports Pixel 2 and Pixel 3 handsets, alongside smartphones from LG and Motorola. For the uninitiated, Project Fi is a mobile virtual network operator that combines network coverage from T-Mobile, Sprint, and US Cellular. The service bears a number of appealing promises, most notably its straightforward pricing — users just have to pay $20 a month for unlimited text and calls, and mobile data is $10 per gigabyte until users reach 6 GB. After that, data is free, but speeds get slower when they reach past 15 GB.
Interestingly, although Google intends to extend Project Fi support to a lot more handsets, the company notes that the current crop of Fi-compatible smartphones will still offer the best overall user experience for subscribers. Those include the Pixel 2 and Pixel 3, LG G7, LG V35, Moto G6, and Moto X4 Android One edition.
It's not exactly clear what that means. Will Project Fi on OnePlus, Samsung, and Apple devices perform worse than on the aforementioned phones? That doesn't sound ideal, and it's also hard to imagine Google purposefully making a service comparatively worse on some phones. Hopefully, the company provides an official announcement soon.
In any case, Google extending Project Fi support should allow more types of consumers to give the service a shot.
Thoughts on Project Fi arriving on more handsets? As always, feel free to sound off in the comments section below!
