Google Project Fi is the best for international students

The addition of an affordable smartphone to Google Project Fi is an indicator that the service is doing pretty much well, but why add a cheaper, less powerful phone after ditching its affordable Nexus lineup that offered much more powerful phones at just about the same price tag?

A good look at Google Project Fi will tell you that the service is targeting people who want to save on their monthly phone plans, but it’s obvious Fi isn’t everyone’s favorite meal. If you are a heavy internet user with less access to free Wi-F hotspots, this is not the mobile service for you. However, if you travel outside the U.S. every now and then, this is just what you need.

Rather than buy a local SIM card for every country you visit, Google Project Fi can accompany you to more than 135 countries across the globe. While there, you can keep using the same data pack you were using while in the U.S. The story is the same for text messages, however, you’ll have to incur a small fee of $0.20 per minute in order to make voice calls, which is still great. Since you can also tether this data to other devices, you can as well turn to a video call via any of the many communications apps available today, including WhatsApp.

While still on matters international, the issue of how good is Project Fi suitable for international students creeps in. If you an American studying in, say, Europe or Asia, you can still carry your Google Pixel, Pixel 2 XL or Android One Moto X4 for that matter, to your new place and while there, Project Fi will still be at your service. It’s true that using a local SIM card to make local calls is cheaper than using your Fi SIM card, however, the story is unlikely to be the same for many local carriers in Europe and Asia as far as calling back home is concerned.

This is where Google Project Fi gets sweet, because calls will be charged at just $0.20 per minute, which is a favorable fee. You’ll still be using the same data you purchased on Fi and if your campus and hostels have free Wi-Fi hotspots, you’ll notice nearly no difference in your monthly bill, unless you are the kind that make lots of voice calls.

Naturally, students are not big spenders and as such, the lack of an affordable smartphone on Project Fi was a problem for many who fitted the bill (remember Fi is not for everyone). But with the launch of the Android One Moto X4, this has changed the game and there’s no doubt that a good number will be joining the party.

The spread of 4G LTE is the best thing that can happen to an international student using Google Project Fi. Since Fi will only switch to a Wi-Fi hotspot that offers the strongest network, having these LTE hotspots all over will ensure that students save even more on phone plans, but a lack of them could lead to huge bills, especially for heavy internet users.

Are you an international student using Google Project Fi? What’s your experience? Share with us in your comments below.