How to use your American phone in Europe, Asia, and Australia (and not go broke)
Want to travel the world, but pay just $20 a month for unlimited calls & texts? Cross your fingers and toes. This could be the beginning of a phone revolution.
Before you read on: I think it goes without saying that I have not been paid by Google in any way, shape or form. Just trying to help fellow hopeful wanderers. Let’s begin:
Like Uber, Whatsapp, Venmo, and Skype shook things up in their respective domains, and forced archaic business models to reconsider their approach, Google Fi appears to be taking a chainsaw to the traditional phone plan model.
Perfect for world vagabonds, wanderlusters, pirates, and freelance copywriters.
*A quick heads up, before you jump in*
The only catch- if you consider it to be one- is that Google Fi is only available on three Android smartphones currently: The Pixel, Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X.
If you’re unwilling to give up your iPhone, Google Fi isn’t the Kim Kardashian to your Kanye just yet.
Still here? Good.
How Google Fi works
Google is a beast of a corporation (spoiler). Companies and networks the world over are eager to kiss their omnipotent posterior. Therefore, with Google Fi they are in a position to have numerous 4G and WiFi networks made available to them. And, more importantly, to you.
Essentially, in over 135 countries, your phone will work as if you’re sitting on your living room sofa. For as little as $20 per month.
But what about data?
If you want to add data to you monthly $20, it’s $10 per GB of data (identical to the States).
I chose to go with 1GB. I figured it was the sweet spot that empowered me to get directions in Prague (my next destination), check work emails when needed but still, y’know, experiencing the world around me a little. This brings my plan up to $30 p/m with data. $33.18 after tax.
Now, revisiting my hopes of a phone revolution: Google Fi is attempting something different. Something unusually commonsense. Something almost… Nice?
If you don’t use the data on your chosen plan during the month, you don’t pay for it. Google Fi credits your account with the amount you didn’t use.
In all honesty, they already had me with the 135 countries for 30 bucks thing, but you gotta love that. Here’s hoping competitors follow suit.
*Holds breath*
*Stops holding breath*
You gotta get the phone though, remember?
Google Fi only works on three phones. Being shrewd- AKA cheap- I went for the most affordable option: the Nexus 5x. I was pleasantly surprised here too.
By today’s smartphone standards, it’s extremely affordable to begin with ($199). You can break this up into monthly payments of $8.29, which is what I did. Better still, you can roll it into your monthly subscription.
And if you would like to pay your phone in full- either upfront or during the 24 months you are given- you can.
So, the world’s your oyster?
A little background: I live and travel around Europe with my wife, while working remotely with a NYC startup. After living in Paris for the past couple of months, we’re just about to move to Prague.
In Paris, we had hemmed and hawed about setting up our phones, never quite getting around to it. If one of us wanted to do something separately with our Parisian friends at night, we were completely reliant on WiFi or friends’ phones once we left our apartment in Montmartre.
Not the end of the world; but not ideal. Especially since neither of us have ever been to Prague or Budapest (our destination after Prague). For me, Google Fi seems like a godsend at the same price we were paying in New York.
And you can’t put a price on freedom.
*Update*
My wife, a ride-or-die iPhone fan for years has just sold her iPhone SE and is switching over too.
