Google’s Project Fi is a great wireless service provider. However, one of the major issues of this MVNO is the limited number of devices supported.
So far, there are only five handsets that can be used to activate a Project Fi SIM card – the Google Pixel and Pixel XL, Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P as well as the Nexus 6. All of these devices are great, but they have their own downsides.
For instance, the new Pixel and Pixel XL are somehow too expensive for some, especially for those coming from a Google Nexus 5X or even Nexus 6P. The 2015 Nexus devices, as you can see, are almost two years old and soon they will no longer be supported as far as major software updates are concerned. As for the Nexus 6, it has already received its last major OS update in the shape of Android 7.1.1 Nougat and in the next few months, it will no longer be receiving security updates.
You are probably a victim of the bootloop issue on the Google Nexus 5X and maybe you’ve already ditched the phone. Since the Google Pixel is beyond many people’s reach in terms of pricing, those moving from the Nexus 5X have had lots of issues when it comes to getting a new, affordable phone that also supports Project Fi.
One had to go for the $399-valued Nexus 6P, but for some, this phone is just too big to hold. Since Project Fi was selling the Nexus 5X at just $199, buying the 6P for the said $399 seems too costly for some as well, but it appears that this won’t be the case any longer. According to the MVNO, this year will see a new Fi-compatible handset come into play, but it will be made by one of the company’s OEM partners.
We hear you loud and clear. Keep an eye out for a new Fi-compatible device at a mid-tier price from one of our partners later this year. https://t.co/74U3bq16pa
— Project Fi (@projectfi) June 29, 2017
We all know the direction that Google has taken with the Pixel and Pixel XL phones as it looks to establish itself as a major force in the hardware market. The tweet by Project Fi is clear that the Fi-compatible phone will not be a Google phone, rather, it will come from its partner OEMs, which could possibly mean Android One is finally coming to the U.S. Still, previous Nexus phones were made in partnership with the likes of LG, Huawei, Motorola and so on, which could also mean otherwise.
The best part of the tweet, however, is that the upcoming Project Fi phone will be valued at a mid-tier price, probably same as the Nexus 5X. This could mean that those contemplating on moving on from the LG-made handset can finally get a worthy alternative that still works with Fi and promises regular updates for the next few years.
Whether there will be more than one device or not is still unknown, but it’d definitely be the joy of many to see more affordable non-Google phones come into play with support for Project Fi.
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