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I've been on Project Fi (Nexus 6) since late July. I'm based in Texas but travel frequently - 5 countries so far (Mexico, Spain, England, France, Ireland - Republic and Northern) plus Colorado and up and down the East/West coasts. Yes, I fly a shitload for work. I switched from AT&T for comparison. Obviously this is all anecdotal and as unscientific as it gets but I thought I'd share anyway: Local/US: Day to day use at home - when I'm there - is about the same if not a little better, but that's because AT&T had poo poo coverage around my house. WiFi calling is very nice. Signal strength outside it has generally been very good, there have been some spots, like in LA, where I remember having good AT&T coverage and on Fi it's been spotty but that is pretty rare. Data speeds in the US are, overall, just as good for me as on AT&T - I tether it to my Surface quite a bit in airports. and it's quite decent for browsing/etc. I've done a few speed tests in different spots to confirm LTE and while I haven't stacked them up head to head vs. when I was on AT&T I can say if there is a difference I don't notice it. I have yet to notice any issues with switching between networks - it is incredibly seamless. You have to dig in (there's an app, I forget what it is called) that I had at first that would tell you what you were on but it doesn't really matter, your calls/data will go from one network to another, even WiFi, without you noticing. It seems to roam wherever Sprint and T-Mobile roam, the few times I have been in the serious boonies, but I can't really confirm this. I'll try to check next time. I haven't noticed any particular data throttling but I don't use a ton of mobile data, usually I am under 3GB and get credit back. Overseas: It worked really well in the 5 countries I visited, I often got LTE speeds in major cities (Barcelona, London) and in general things were pretty seamless. WiFi calling is nice overseas in particular; as long as you are on, say, hotel WiFi, or a local hotspot, you can essentially call back to the US for free (or vice versa). I don't make many voice calls that aren't for work and of course there's always Skype/etc. but I found it handy all the same. The best part about using Fi overseas is it is cheap and reliable - you don't have to worry about ridiculous overage charges, or calling ahead and paying for expensive one-time "trip fees", or paying for an international plan every month you don't use that often. It Just Works. Billing: A lot of people miss that you get credited back amounts you don't use/spend - After a two week overseas trip it was $60 (that was my total bill for the month, i.e. $10 more) for example because I had previous credits, and that's with using a few $10/GB overages. One month my bill was $26 due to back credits. Fi has so far worked out to be far, far cheaper than AT&T ever was, particularly when overseas packages are factored in. To the poster above - it depends on your circumstances (current carrier and plan) and what Fi plan you choose, of course (I am on the $50 one) but I save far more than $5-10 a month. Overall I like it a lot. So much so that it is pretty much the only reason I am sticking with the Nexus phones - I have never been a huge fan of the Nexus 6, and the new ones don't have wireless charging which is annoying to me, but I'll need to upgrade to one or the other anyway. Edit: Updated to add stuff on billing. Ixian fucked around with this message at 15:04 on Oct 25, 2015 |
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Oct 25, 2015 14:49
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Tatsujin posted:
I don't think that is the primary use case though - for Google, anyway. I think they require service coverage in both areas because the entire basis of the agreement they worked out with the carriers is the service wouldn't be exclusive to one or the other. It's supposed to mix. So it's either contractual with the carriers - because if you were in an area with just Sprint coverage, you really wouldn't be getting Fi, you'd be getting Sprint resold at a different rate by Google - or it's a Google thing. By the latter, I mean you have to consider what Fi is - one of Googles little experiments. I seriously doubt they care about the revenue this generates. The bigger picture is more about if/how they can achieve a kind of "meta carrier" status. Also consider what Google is: A data collection/analytic company. With that in mind, having customers who were in "home" areas with only one carrier would do them no good, because they wouldn't get good data on network switching (other than WiFi, which lots of carriers do now) etc.
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Oct 26, 2015 18:27
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zer0spunk posted:It makes less sense if Google doesn't care which carrier you're using while on Fi. If they don't have any kind of internal metric for kicking you off if you're using 90% of tmobiles service all the time, why would they care at sign up? It just seems like an odd contractual based obligation. If there's only 90/10 TMO/Sprint in Iowa, and I sign up in NY and then move to Iowa or visit, google doesn't care? I just can't create an account in Iowa? I'd be a little confused at that too. If there's one thing I am sure of, it's that they won't be any more clear on this  I mean...it's Google.I know what you mean - certainly, you could sign up in one area then end up moving to another where only one service was available, or find some address workaround I guess if you didn't care about area codes (who does these days?) and were really committed, but I'm betting they view those as corner cases not worth fretting over. Clearly, they intend for the service to be available only where both carriers have a presence. None of us are privy to the contractual details, but given the typical MNVO model, Google is undoubtedly buying unused capacity from both carriers, and being Google probably has some incredibly complicated, big-data view of how to balance it all out, all the time. Flat out offering service in areas where only one carrier or another exists doesn't fit what they are trying to do...whatever it is, with Fi. Yes, if someone moves to such an area it might throw off their data - I doubt they will cut you off - but I suspect that is just a statistical blip to them.
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Oct 26, 2015 21:45
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Glass of Milk posted:I asked this in the android thread, but how does the switching to wifi spots work in Fi? Is it pretty seamless? Does it make a difference in terms of data use? It's seamless, and works with Android's "smart WiFi" feature they added a couple versions ago so that, for example, if you auto-connect to a captive portal that requires a login before giving you internet access, it doesn't switch you to it automatically. It also basically means free calls in your house/work/etc. for the most part (assuming you are US-US, or overseas calling to the US - if you have a US number and you use WiFi calling you still pay international rates if your end destination is international, of course). Makes a big difference in mobile data usage, depending on your access to WiFi.
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Oct 27, 2015 22:01
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Infidel Castro posted:From what I've read, not really. The only drawback is that Google will send a ton of data overage alerts. They only send alerts every GB you go over. I went over a few times overseas and didn't get many at all.
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Oct 27, 2015 23:12
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withoutclass posted:Transferring from AT&T took maybe 10 minutes. Same, AT&T transfer was no problem. They warn it could take a while but I am pretty sure mine was done before I was even fully finished with the rest of the sign up process. Edit: Also, if you don't know - If the number is the only one on your AT&T account, transferring it automatically initiates an account cancellation with AT&T, you don't even need to call them and have some poor soul try to talk you out of it. They will just send you a final bill. This all assumes you are out of contract, of course, if you still have time on a phone contract I imagine some pain is going to be involved in this process
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Oct 28, 2015 18:18
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Just a word to the wise - if you order a 6p or 5x for Fi and it's not *specifically* from the Fi store/Fi stock - and that does not include the regular Google Play store - it won't come with a sim card. If you are like me and already have a 6 with Fi and think you are covered because it's the same, think again - though they are both nano-sims, the 6p and 5x require a new card anyway. Which again, if you didn't order it specifically from Fi stock (and they are usually out) you won't get. Google will send you a sim for Fi for free if you are already signed up, or if you sign up for the program separately you'll get your own kit, but the people they forgot were the ones already on Fi upgrading phones. So having paid for two day shipping for my 6p I can't use it on Fi until my sim card arrives via ground (unless, of course, I wanted to pay them for overnight or two day shipping all over again, at the same rate).
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Nov 3, 2015 19:11
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Silly Burrito posted:No, but my order says Dec. 3-7, so I figure I'm waiting anyway. I think I ordered around three or four weeks ago as well. The disconnect between stores is annoying. It's pretty common to see giant companies act like a collection of smaller companies that sometimes don't talk to one another but Google has usually been pretty good about being seamless. What I mean is, if you had ordered the 6p when it popped back in the Play store (which it is doing again with some regularity) you'd have it by now. I got an email last week that the model I wanted was in stock and had it three days later, including processing time. The Play store and the "Fi" store are not the same thing even though they might appear to be that way - separate back end, separate inventory of phones. Of course, as I pointed out above, if you already have Fi - or you don't but are ordering it new - you won't get a Fi sim with it and "old" Fi sims (from 4 months ago) don't work with the new phones. So if you order off Play make sure you order a sim kit from Fi too. Which you might want to think about doing if you still have Fi store orders showing Dec 3-7 since Play store orders for most models are shipping, or were a day or so ago. (If they show out of stock on Play again, set a reminder email, they pop back in stock all the time). Minor customer service point for Google: After I complained via their feedback app about the unclear process they expedited my new sim shipment and it'll be here tomorrow.
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Nov 4, 2015 14:48
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You'll like it. I like Fi itself, a lot, and that is on the 6, which is a phone I really don't like. The 6p is night and day from the 6 - the camera "hump" that everyone was aghast over in pre-release pics is nothing, it barely registers, the build quality is top-tier, the screen is incredibly good, and best of all it actually takes pictures that are decent now. I agree with most reviews in that it's not the very best smartphone camera, but it's finally up near the top of the pack. And it's fast as hell, camera and overall. It also feels a lot nicer to hold, because it's very slightly narrower thanks to the thinner bezel, and the edges are much easier to grip. For a screen this size it's near perfect, I think. The fingerprint reader is my favorite bit, I didn't think I'd like it on the back but as it turns out it's a good place for it, almost second nature to use after just a couple days and it is stupid-fast, faster than my iPhone 6 (I have one for work). Thumbs up on this phone.
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Nov 5, 2015 01:05
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mad.radhu posted:This seems really odd to me, mine arrived in the same box. It's easy to find ones that show the network, but I've noticed Google has started removing apps that actually let you change it. For that you'll need to hit up XDA and look for the latest apks, unfortunately.
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Nov 6, 2015 19:39
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At risk of derailing into a Nexus discussion - though not entirely off topic since the last 3 are the only ones that work on Fi - the 6p is truly great. The only bummer for me was lack of wireless charging, since I had bought in to that since using the 5 and later the 6, but I can live without it. Everything else about this phone is spot on. I am used to good fingerprint sensors from the iPhone but this one is even better; using it with Lastpass and autofill - the latter iOS can't do - is fantastic. Will never use a phone without a (good) one again - it is not the kind of lovely implementation Samsung used to have in case you wondered. Phone is fast as hell, screen is phenomenal, and the camera is really good which I am not used to on Android. Also, battery life has been excellent so far as well. If you are on the fence, get it, it is night and day from the original 6. Posting from it, in fact. Ixian fucked around with this message at 03:05 on Nov 7, 2015 |
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Nov 7, 2015 03:03
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Fhqwhgads posted:Crossposting from the Android thread, I finally got my 6p (two weeks faster than they said), and I love it in almost every way. The thing is too goddamned big! Yeah I know, my own fault. I have long fingers so I figured it would be OK, but I can't hold the phone with one hand and use my thumb to swype because I can't reach across the entire screen. That and the fact that because it's so big I never feel like I'm holding it safely means I should probably "downgrade" to a 5x. I bought this one with Fi on 0% financing, I wonder if they'll let me exchange for a 5x and continue the financing? Part of me doesn't want to "downgrade" though. Where can I find how many days I have to get used to this phone before I have a shot at swapping it? Keep in mind - you probably know this - the 5x isn't just a smaller version of the 6p. Coming from LG, it's very different in some ways - most reports say battery life kind of sucks and the camera isn't nearly as good. If you want a smaller phone and Fi it's about your only option right now but think about it first, you are trading off more than the size. Personally, I would take the time to get used to the 6p/size, I have an iPhone 6 (work) and the 6p is my personal phone, and while the iPhone is much easier to hold I prefer the 6p day to day - and not just because of Android vs. iOS. The bigger screen, once you get used to handling it, really does pay off. And the screen on the 6p is about as good as they get.
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Nov 8, 2015 00:37
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Darkpriest667 posted:I'm not quite sure it hasn't been clearly stated enough for me. I do know I am paying my ETF with sprint to get out. I don't know what the cutoff is, so to speak, but I do know normally as long as the signal is "good enough" it will stay on the same network. There is an internal signal strength measurement - that has nothing to do, really, with the number of bars you see - Google uses to determine when to switch, among other factors. In fact this pretty much is the definition of what Fi is Whether it makes the right judgement call for your situation all the time is going to be a trial and error thing; from what I understand it is something they are constantly tweaking based on anonymous signal data they get from your phone.
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Nov 8, 2015 01:03
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Humerus posted:Just got my 6P, set up Project Fi and everything seems to be going smoothly. I did notice though when I go to send an SMS, it gives options: "Mobile (via SMS)" or "Mobile (via Project Fi)". It means they include WiFi, basically - works best with Hangouts (might *only* work with Hangouts and Google Messenger, haven't tried). It's their attempt at iMessage, basically. If it does this it will send it via your Google account, which might make your name appear different on the other end - I've had a few people ask "who is this" when texting them for the first time on Fi. There's some setting that combines accounts (not the Hangouts one that merges VM, etc.) that I forget now but basically if you send via Fi you want to make sure it also sends your number along with it or things will look weird on the other end.
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Nov 11, 2015 04:51
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Gravel Gravy posted:So how do you send out new texts from Google Voice? That's not how it works. I text my contacts all the time, just like a regular texting app. You have to make sure you have SMS set up in the Hangouts settings and that you select use SMS for texts (it defaults to your Google account).
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Nov 13, 2015 17:30
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Gravel Gravy posted:I mean more from using Google Voice from the browser. I occasionally use Hangouts in a browser and it's pretty much like iMessage - you can use SMS, etc. as well. And all my contacts are synced. I am not sure how you were using things in GV (I had GV as well, all the way back to GrandCentral days, but never really used the browser app) but it sounds like something isn't configured right on your end. If you have Fi have you tried their support? They are actually quite good.
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Nov 13, 2015 19:04
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EatinCake posted:I'm looking at getting a new phone next week, and man, this plan sounds amazing. Fi is a waiting game; sign up and if you are in an area they serve (and those don't match 1:1 the same areas T-Mobile and Sprint serve) they will let you know and put you on a waiting list. I don't know how long it is now but it was 2 months for me back when it started. They did recently have a 1-day, instant sign up event, so maybe they will do that again. In my opinion you want the 6p - it's just a better phone. If you read the various reviews around the web you'll find consensus. I know it seems too large on paper, and the first couple days you have it you'll probably agree, but it is something you get used to pretty quick and then there's no going back. There's a reason large screens have started to dominate the market - they are better for what you actually use the phone for every day. And the 6p is one of the best, and easiest to hold, large screen phones there is.
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Nov 23, 2015 18:48
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EatinCake posted:Drats. I was hoping to hop aboard sometime next month. Maybe I'll tweet a goofy doodle at Google Fi's twitter account. Companies seem to love that. Everyone is different so I don't want say you are wrong - my personal experience though is you'll come to like the larger screen, especially if the overall phone is designed well. My wife is probably the best example I know, recently - for years she used an iPhone 4, then the 5s, which nowdays are about the smallest phones around. When she upgraded a month ago she surprised me by picking the 6s Plus - and not just because it was $750 after her trade in The 6s Plus (which is about the same size as the Nexus 6p) from the iPhone 5s is a monstrous difference, but it only took her a few days to get used to it, and she much prefers the larger screen. It's not just about watching videos, etc - in fact neither of us do that with our phones (I use my Surface tablet to watch stuff on the road). Everything from email to browsing to games just feels better. For some folks, a better one handed experience (there is a terrible pun to be had here) trumps everything, but I recommend you at least give the 6p a try. Size aside it really is the better phone of the two - the 5x reviews I have read have been lukewarm at best. The 6p however is just about perfect. Huawei had something to prove where LG didn't, I guess.
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Nov 24, 2015 05:36
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morrisirrom posted:Anyone else get the Lego styled phone stand for being a Fi user? Not yet but apparently if you activated prior to November 19th you'll get one. Looks pretty neat. This link has eligibility details: https://support.google.com/fi/answer/6326260?hl=en
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Nov 28, 2015 09:36
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Barracuda Bang! posted:If we're eligible, do we have to actually sign up? No, link says you'll just get one if you have an active account and are otherwise eligible. They are shipping them up through the 24th of December so it may take a while. Also goes to the address of record on your Fi account so make sure that is correct (same one you gave for 911 info, etc.)
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Nov 28, 2015 16:00
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Darkpriest667 posted:Interesting you say that about your parents, I checked my mother's usage the other day and she uses like .4 GB a month. She pays 68 dollars. She could probably get away with paying google 40. I'm tempted to buy her a 5X and get this started. If that is her usage she'd probably end up paying even less than that, the way Fi works.
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Nov 28, 2015 22:06
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Chaotic Flame posted:The camera will be an improvement if nothing else. I went from an M8 to the 6P. The camera in the 6p is much better than the one in the 5x FYI.
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Nov 30, 2015 01:58
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Zeron posted:Ordered my Google Fi Nexus 6p on 11/27, FedEx managed to get it to me today which really impressed me considering the estimated date was another 1-2 weeks out. Really impressed by this phone so far, my Moto G(2014) already feels like a toy in comparison. It's amazing how easy google has made it to sync everything across devices these days, it took me less than ten minutes to get everything setup and working. Signal seems acceptable as well...not quite as good as what I had at home with AT&T but with wifi calling it doesn't need to be and I'm paying $20 a month less anyway. I came over from AT&T as well and unless you are a complete mobile data hound you are probably going to find you are saving a lot more than $20 a month. You get credit for data you don't use - in the form of not paying as much, not "rollover" data. Since late July I've taken my N6, now 6p, on two trips to Europe and one to Japan in addition to daily home use and my bills are half of the regular "domestic" AT&T rate - never mind what I used to have to pay for temporary international data. I'm not even sure how this service exists. I mean, I knew the big carriers like AT&T were overcharging like motherfuckers but drat.
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Dec 4, 2015 07:41
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Mercury Ballistic posted:I am very happy with Fi, but I do not get the sense that Google want to compete long term in this market. They seem to want to spur further innovation and develop their tech on us early adopters, but I am not sure what their plan for scaling is. The users of Fi are likely a rounding error on the books of the big players, and as soon as that changes then what? Certainly they aren't trying to make a buck off Fi itself. I suspect their plans are much grander - they have 3 devices now that can seemlessly switch between different cell phone providers and WiFi. Clearly they are gunning for carrier independence, something that ironically they are able to do with wireless providers that they can't do (in the US) with wired/home internet.
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Dec 4, 2015 17:59
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Mercury Ballistic posted:You may be right, that is speculation on my end. To be more succinct: What do we think is google's desired endgame with regards to Fi? Ixian posted:Certainly they aren't trying to make a buck off Fi itself. I suspect their plans are much grander - they have 3 devices now that can seemlessly switch between different cell phone providers and WiFi. Clearly they are gunning for carrier independence, something that ironically they are able to do with wireless providers that they can't do (in the US) with wired/home internet. To me, Fi is in much the same spirit as Google Fiber, just taking a different path. When you have a multi-billion dollar company with ambitions to match and it is 100% dependent on internet service that is delivered by other companies you're going to both pay attention to how internet is delivered and want to have a say in it. With Fiber, they aren't trying to take over the market so much as goose it in the direction they think it should go. Look what happens every time they announce a new fiber city - they don't even have to start building the thing before the incumbents run around arms flapping. That was certainly the case in Austin, where I live - AT&T first gave them a bunch of regulatory poo poo, then ended up deploying their own Gigabit service. Fiber however is an easier problem for a company like Google, since there is a ton of unlit (dark) fiber still in the ground and they are able to use right of ways on many utility poles, etc. You can't just jump in the cellular game the same way, not with how spectrum is doled out in the US. So, enter Fi. Take the MNVO approach but do it with two carriers, not one, and throw in WiFi. Is it going to be huge/take over the market? No, but it may well get others thinking about it, and it may prove to carriers that it's a business model that can co-exist.
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Dec 5, 2015 02:04
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greasyhands posted:I do a lot of international travel for work and, after being iphone only since basically my last dumbphone, am going to take the plunge with android to try out Fi. What is the best going deal on the 6p? Just ordering it direct from Huwaei to save on tax? There don't seem to be any sales anywhere. Yes that is about as cheap as you'll get it (list price no sales tax), though if you order it from the Fi store (which is not the regular Google Play store, though they look the same) you'll get it with the Fi sim card. Otherwise you'll need to order the sim kit (which will be an option when you sign up for Fi). Also most peoples experience in this thread, including my own, is that Google will ship faster, generally much faster than their ordering system tells you. The 5x has had some pretty massive sales recently but not the 6p, which probably means it is selling just fine. Which it should because it is an awesome phone.
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Dec 5, 2015 16:25
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Darkpriest667 posted:I wonder how many Sprint customers defected to Fi. It would be interesting to know. Considering it's an invite-only niche service with a waiting list up to 90 days long and only available in select areas....I am guessing drat few. Like, Sprint wouldn't even notice it as a rounding error few.
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Dec 6, 2015 02:46
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Glad to hear they are opening it up, I like Fi too much for it to be tanked by Google a couple years in. Still probably a rounding error for Sprint. Don't get me wrong, I'd be delighted if it found widespread success and influenced other carriers to stop being such ridiculous asshats about data and international usage. Fi (and T-Mobile, others) have proven you can make money without gouging your customers (looking at you AT&T). Ixian fucked around with this message at 06:15 on Dec 6, 2015 |
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Dec 6, 2015 06:13
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Sirbloody posted:I really want to switch to Project Fi but I am worried since I live in rural GA (Ludowici to be exact) that my coverage will be horrible. T-Mobile says I will get 4g in my location but Project Fi says 2g. Since Comcast finally laid the lines in my area I have been using very little data on my Verizon UDP line (I think I was under 3gb and the only reason it was that high was I forgot to connect to my wifi at the house) If your current Verizon phone has a Nano (not Micro) sim - I am assuming you are still using Verizon - you can use it easily in a 5x or 6p (or a 6 for that matter). As long as you already have an active account you literally can just swap it in and out i.e. if you end up wanting to stay with Verizon or want to do side-by-side comparisons you can. That way, as Darkpriest667 points out, you can just try Fi out. The Fi sim kit is free with the service and the service has no contract terms at all. And the 6p is a fantastic phone no matter what you use it on (some people feel the same about the 5x but I would go with the 6p) - it will work on your Verizon account. If your current phone doesn't have a Nano sim or you let your Verizon account lapse you could be in for some work, because while the 5x and 6p work perfectly fine on Verizon, they haven't "certified" them yet, meaning new activations are a pain in the rear end. This includes swapping a Micro sim for a Nano sim (also, if you go that route, obviously the new sim won't work in your old phone, but as mentioned the new phone is a good idea anyway).
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Dec 8, 2015 07:35
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Sirbloody posted:If I only had a Nexus phone (I am using a Droid Turbo). I know Straight Talk works really well in my area (I moved my wife's UDP line to it since she never uses data, but she has a S6) but for me to even test the Project Fi would be a pretty big investment (None of my friends/coworkers have a Nexus phone). Right, but my point is you will need a Nexus phone anyway, there's no way around that, and they work just fine on Verizon too, and they are great phones (well, the 6p is) so you're not really losing here.
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Dec 8, 2015 17:06
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pass the butter posted:I believe when I ported over my number from verizon it said I would lose my google voice number. Which was of no conequence to me, but your situation sounds different. All I got was junk calls/voicemails on the google voice number anyways, so it didn't bother me. I think, but am not positive, that if you don't port your number you'll get a new one and you can just keep using Voice with your number (the app works fine on the phone with Fi, you should be able to point it to your new mobile just like you can now). Porting it later, as Google has stated, is not an option for whatever reason. If you have ATT you will probably really like the switch, that is who I ported from. Everyones coverage is a different, of course, but mine either improved or showed no change and good God are my bills lower with Fi.
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Dec 20, 2015 04:40
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Darkpriest667 posted:I dont think Group pictures have ever worked with hangouts. In fact I dont think MMS has ever worked in hangouts. I have to use the messenger app for that. I am sure it's not recommended. What? MMS works fine in Hangouts, I use it all the time. I get group texts and photos too.
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Dec 23, 2015 15:57
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withoutclass posted:Are you taking about using hangouts as your MMS/SMS app, or actually having your SMS delivered via Hangouts (you get SMS/MMS on desktop hangouts as well)? I use it as my default app and also use hangouts.google.com, they both work without issue.
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Dec 23, 2015 21:47
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Daily Forecast posted:Didn't know they actually cared, fair enough. I was just wondering if both my wife and I could go onto Fi without her having to give up her T-Mobile S4, which she likes. They care a great deal for two reasons; one Google is a massive data-collection company and they want the stats on how often phones switch between networks, two (and more importantly) as an MNVO the deal they cut with T-Mobile and Sprint doesn't allow for exclusive access of one network over another. It's why they don't let you change manually (and took down a couple third party apps that did) and why you can't sign up for Fi unless you live in an area that has both. I don't work for Fi (or Google) so I am just making an assumption here but the logical reason is that the ability to switch between two providers and Wifi seamlessly is a big factor in why Fi is so cheap. If you stick it in an unsupported phone you'll essentially just get T-Mobile at a very big discount, which while I am sure seems like a fantastic thing for you is not so great for them. Darkpriest is right, it's not like they aren't going to see what type of phone you are using (even if it's another Android phone it still has unique identifiers) and if they get around to catching you doing it you'll probably be cut off. Maybe a warning first, I don't know. I doubt they would sue you. The point of Fi is that it lines up with Google's overall goal of not having their services dependent on any one carrier/ISP. If they can't build it out themselves (ala Project Loon or Google Fiber) then they'll at least deal with multiple carriers.
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Dec 28, 2015 23:31
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Darkpriest667 posted:If your 6P is having battery problems compared to your Galaxy S5 I have to wonder what you're doing with it or if possibly you got a dud. I can get 3 days on my 6P sometimes. 1.5 with heavy use. I think what he said is he has a 5x (though it's not clear) in addition to his wifes. Whatever the case I agree with you, my 6p has fantastic battery life. Easily can go a couple days in between charges, and quick charge gets it right back in a matter of minutes, not hours. I don't miss wireless charging at all. Some of this is due to the bigger battery in the 6p (vs. the 5x), some I suspect due to Huawei having done a better job with the hardware, and the rest Marshmallows excellent power saving features, such as doze. Everything I have read about the 5x points to LG having done something wrong with the hardware, what I couldn't say but there are too many reports of short battery life + overheating phones to believe otherwise at this point. Maybe it's not across the board in which case there's probably a manufacturing issue. In any case, I think the 6p is by far the superior phone (for the screen alone). You'll get used to the size, I used to use the regular N5 and would never go back now.
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Dec 30, 2015 21:53
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Darkpriest667 posted:Which is weird because LG made the Nexus 5 and that was a fantastic phone. Perhaps it's just a manufacturing error. You know how some runs of products are duds. Maybe that has happened here. I agree, I liked the N5 a lot, BUT if we are being fair battery life wasn't exactly fantastic on it, and still isn't with 6.0. Have a feeling the 5x problems run deeper than a small battery.
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Dec 31, 2015 00:38
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Chaotic Flame posted:Do I have a dud? My battery life isn't anything like that. No, maybe a rogue app (the battery status page isn't always accurate as to what is using how much) though running in the background. Are you rooted/running xposed, anything like that? Only other thing I can think is you have the screen on at full brightness a lot, hard to tell from your ss, 4% isn't much but that's just since the last charge.
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Jan 1, 2016 02:40
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greasyhands posted:Dark priest has to be one of those guys that turns off everything the phone can do to maximize battery life. There is nothing magical about all this, I get about the same battery life as you and all the battery tests published online indicate that it's normal. Overall I'm a pretty heavy user and I get a full day out of a charge so I'm happy I don't know what constitutes a "heavy user" but I use my phone quite a bit and I get the same kind of results Darkpriest does. I haven't done anything special to maximize battery life at all, either. Here's mine right now with 58% of the battery left (I last charged it about 17 hours ago and left it unplugged overnight)  I wonder if Doze isn't working right/kept from starting by a background process on these other phones. Edit: That shot above is with 1h 23m screen time. Ixian fucked around with this message at 19:08 on Jan 1, 2016 |
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Jan 1, 2016 19:04
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greasyhands posted:You should be getting 5-7hrs of screen time, depending on exactly what you are doing while the screen is on. I get that. the time remaining is an estimate based on your usage since last charge, so if you've only looked at the screen for an hour and a half in the last 17 hours then yeah its going to say you've got over a day left. If you've spent several hours looking at it ( I read all my news and books on my phone) in just 8 hours it is going to estimate a much lower remaining battery. Fair enough. I don't read books/watch movies much on my phone so my screen is rarely on for long stretches of time. I'd still check to make sure Doze is working correctly. When you aren't using your phone it does a tremendous job of A) keeping background stuff like mail, texts, etc. up to date and B) saving the hell out of the battery life. I say this because I used to have the regular 6 and the original 5 before that and even though I use the 6p for the same things the battery life is noticeably longer for me - a lot longer.
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Jan 1, 2016 21:27
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Zeron posted:I had some trouble with battery life as well, until I learned that Doze is only triggered when the phone is almost completely still. That means that if it's in your pocket it's not going to doze, it pretty much only works if you set it down. This is true. It's meant for when you leave your phone on the nightstand or something and forget/don't bother to hook it up to a charger. This is probably one area Google will tune up in future releases because it works really well and I am sure they didn't forget about people carrying phones around. Another thing that can kill battery life (as is the case with most Smartphones) is a poor cell signal, which may be more of a factor with Fi because it can switch between networks and isn't always perfect at picking the one with the strongest signal. On a completely unrelated note, Fi recently introduced "data only" sims for certain LTE tablets (in addition to newer Nexus tablets the iPad Air 2 and Mini 4 are supported, interestingly). It's basically a SIM that shares data with your Fi account and is T-Mobile only (which I also find interesting). Could be massively useful if you have the right tablet and will definitely be cheaper than any other LTE tablet plan out there. Edit: here's a link to the story. The Galaxy Tab S (newer) is also on the list. http://www.androidcentral.com/project-fi-introduces-data-only-sim-cards-limited-set-tablets
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Jan 2, 2016 07:33
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