Google Fi gets a new name and some new features. The service is now called Google Fi Wireless, bringing some much-needed clarity to the nature of Google’s relatively unknown wireless provider, and adding new benefits to subscribers as updated branding rolls out.
The first big change concerns smartwatches. Google Fi Wireless plans now support Samsung’s Watch 5, in addition to the Pixel Watch. The service also extends smartwatch support to its Simply Unlimited plan, where it was previously only available on Google Fi’s Unlimited Plus and Flexible plans. All three plans support smartwatch connections at no extra cost, allowing the devices to stay connected without a phone. The device options here are still frustratingly limited – there’s no Apple Watch support here – but at least you won’t have to pay an extra fee, unlike competing carriers who typically charge extra to add a smartwatch to your plan to add.
Pricing for the Simply Unlimited plan remains largely unchanged despite the new Smartwatch support — customers get two to four lines for $80 per month, which includes 5 GB of hotspot tethering and unlimited data, calls, and texts within the US, Canada and Mexico. However, there’s a price hike for the Simply Unlimited three-line package, which has actually increased by $5 per month, which isn’t ideal if you’re not taking advantage of the new smartwatch perk. Google says it will reimburse Simply Unlimited customers with three lines with billing credits for their next three billing cycles, but those users will have to pay the cost themselves after that period has passed.
Google Fi Wireless is also adding a new perk that offers an additional phone – a choice of Google Pixel 6A, Samsung A14 or Motorola Moto G Power – for each line added to a plan. The catch is that the phones come with a 24-month commitment to stay on the wireless plan, with the value of the device being paid back each month through billing credits. If you choose to cancel the agreement before the full 24 months have expired, users will be required to pay the difference of what they owe.
The service is also rolling out a revamped version of its app that allows users to add new members to their group subscription and limit who can call or text children within the same group to a list of trusted phone numbers. The redesigned app will roll out starting today in the coming weeks, so you may not see these changes on your own device right away.
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