Goodbye Fi, Hello Mint (Premium)

It’s not (just) the Coronavirus. But with international travel a big question mark for much of this year, I was finally pushed to do something I’d been thinking about and investigating for months. That is, I’m switching from Google Fi to Mint Mobile.

Yes, that Mint Mobile.

But with all due respect to Ryan Reynolds, he had nothing to do with this decision. And to be fair, I did review and use Mint Mobile a few years back and really like the service.

Instead, I’ve been monitoring my Google Fi bill, which has been on the uptick in recent months, and doing some math based on how I use my phone most of the time, as opposed to the just 30-ish days a year when I’m (normally) traveling outside the country. Yes, I love Google Fi’s international service. But the total cost of this wireless carrier, each month, makes it increasingly not worth it.

Again, not just because of Coronavirus.

As noted, I’ve been thinking about this for a long time. Visiting and revisiting the Mint Mobile website and examining their plans, especially the 6- and 12-month plans, which are real money-savers, assuming you don’t mind paying upfront. And while it’s not just about the money—I’ll discuss several other factors I’ve considered below—let’s start with a bit of math. Let’s look at my last six months of Google Fi billing to see how much data I’ve been using.

March. $50.74, 2.5 GB of data.

February. $47.25, 2.15 GB of data.

January. $52.87, 2.71 GB of data.

December. $57.16, 3.11 GB of data.

November. $43.13, 2.19 GB of data.

Note that each month’s bill occurs on the 2nd, so those usage numbers are for the previous month. For example, I traveled to Florida for Ignite in November and used more data than usual; that is reflected in the December bill.

Now, let’s see how much comparable usage would have cost had I been using Mint Mobile instead. It looks like I usually use less than 3 GB of data, so most months my bill at Mint Mobile would be $25 (plus taxes and whatever). So it would be about half. And Mint Mobile, like Google Fi, lets you add additional data as needed (or it will just slow you down otherwise when you go over your limit); 1 GB of additional data is $10, just as with Google Fi. The difference? It’s not automatic, so you have to make the purchase if you need it.

That said, Mint Mobile also has introductory rates. So that 3 GB plan at $25 per month costs just $15 per month (for the first 3 months) if you buy the 3 months up-front (at a cost of $45).

I was fixated on that $25 per month deal, so I looked at Mint Mobile’s 6- and 12-month plans. If you buy a year up-front, 3 GB is $15 per month ($180 total), 8 GB is $20 per month ($240 total), and 12 GB is $25 per month ($300 total). 12 GB. What the heck. I paid for it last night and am waiting on the SIM. When the year comes up in 2021, I’ll reevaluate and choose accordingly.

Cutting my wireless bill in half is nice. But there are other factors that led to this decision.

First, Google Fi uses a unique networking switching technology that lets your phone switch between GSM and CDMA networks on the fly, helping you achieve the best-possible connection no matter where you are. But that requires two wireless radios in the device, and only Google’s phones (and a handful of other choices I’d never consider) support this. So when you use a popular phone like an iPhone or Samsung, you only get GSM. In my case, that means I’m basically on T-Mobile, the same network that Mint uses.

That may not seem like a big deal. But remember that my preference for Pixel handsets was/is built on a variety of factors as well. Not just that they have/had the best cameras in the market, but that they also work ideally on Google Fi. That weird networking switching capability actually limits compatibility and it gives Google’s phones, which are increasingly less attractive otherwise, more of an advantage than they deserve.

The problem, of course, is that Google’s phones no longer have the best cameras in the market, and that’s the second big issue. Pixels are still among the best, yes. But with Apple making incredible strides last year, with Samsung finally upping their game with the S20 Ultra, and with Huawei consistently delivering what I feel is the very best smartphone camera experience, Pixel holds a lot less interest to me. And that’s before we even discuss the reliability issues, the high prices of the devices, and the blandness of the latest generation.

Now, it will be easier to switch phones. I’ll have more data available to me for much lower prices, especially this coming year, so I can use cellular a lot more, and not worry about it. And if we are ever lucky enough to defeat Coronavirus and I can start traveling internationally again, I can enable Google Fi when that happens and take advantage of the network’s incredible roaming capabilities. One of the nice things about Google Fi is that you can pause your account for months at a time.

Finally, there’s the Google thing. I’m trying to lessen my reliance on a company that I don’t trust. This is happening in waves, and while I’m never going to be completely free of Google, it makes sense to limit its influence as much as possible. So I’m using Microsoft Edge on all my PCs and devices, and not Chrome. I’ve removed all of the Google Home/Chromecast devices from my house and am using Sonos. And now I’m getting rid of Fi from my day-to-day. I’m not going to get crazy over exorcising Google. But yeah. It feels good. It feels right.

I’ll report back when the Mint Mobile SIM arrives and I make the switch. Wish me luck.