I find that people are very stuck in the near term cost of things that they need, which costs them much more time and money in the long run (kind of like a car loan or a home mortgage as the cellular phone coverage providers, all of whom pilfer your money!) See http://www.daveramsey.com on paying off debt!
In a previous Google Pixel blog entry I talked about how Google has cell phone coverage through Project Fi which is beyond phenomenal. On a 1,800 mile trek in our car stretching from Michigan, down Indiana, across Kentucky, through West Virginia and then over the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia, the phone never failed to make a call using the Project Fi cellular combined carrier network. Google also says the Pixel will automatically connect to over a million Wi-Fi hotspots with encryption to add to this awesome coverage. (See: https://fi.google.com/about, https://blog.google/products/project-fi/from-hi-to-fi-to-goodbye-to-invites)
Google states that Project Fi uses three carriers, two of which
from their website are specified as being Sprint
and T-Mobile. I found the third
carrier on other websites that specified it as US Cellular and verified that with Google Project Fi technical support. This combination gives you outstanding U.S.
coverage, which in my testing, have been no dead zones what-so-ever. According
to TheVerge.com, Google also recently added "Three" which covers the
United Kingdom, Austria, Denmark, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, and Sweden. In
addition to this Google says Project Fi has coverage in 135+ countries
internationally. (See: http://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2016/7/12/12159210/google-project-fi-three-network-international-roaming-speed)
Verizon was advertising on TV that they had exclusive Pixel access (why this was not false advertising I do not know) for use on its networks for $40 a month, per person, on TV. If you visit their website there are other pricing options such as $10.00 a month plus $27.08 with a 24 month contract for qualifying customers. However, ThatCyberSecurityGuy, LLC strongly recommends against any Verizon plan with the introduction of Google's Project Fi network capabilities and coverage. Plus, T-Mobile is now offering promotional deals for unlocked Pixel phones and we can expect other carriers to continue the trend. (See: http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/2016/10/30/google-pixels-only-verizon-pitch-isnt-what-seems/93007246)
The pricing of Project Fi is amazing for a cancel anytime cellular
plan basic fee of just $20 a month. You can add up to five friends and family
using other Google phones for a mere $15 a month each. For the basic fee you
get (talk, text, Wi-Fi tethering, and international coverage in 135+
countries). If anyone needs data usage and does not have Wi-Fi available, then Google
charges a flat $10 per GB for cellular data while in the U.S. and abroad for everyone in your plan.
For example, 1GB of cellular data is $10/month, 2GB is $20/month, 3GB is
$30/month, and so on as everyone uses cellular data (tell the kids they must be
connected to Wi-Fi when using data!).
What is weird is that Google makes you sign up for a minimum
of 1GB of data per month on your Project Fi plan for $10 a month. However, you
get credited for the full value of your unused data so why bother? You can also
estimate the amount of data that you think you will use by signing up for any greater
amount. For example, if you sign up for 3GB for $30 and only use 1.4GB one month, you would get $16 back, so you only pay for what you use.
The bottom line is that Project Fi is a revolution in cellular
network pricing and coverage if you don't mind Wi-Fi data only usage. Granted the $921 price tag for a 5.5-inch Pixel
with 128GB of storage plus taxes is a humdinger to get past! However, this is competitive
with the iPhone and the Samsung Galaxy S7 pricing, which when purchased for a
specific network are LOCKED into those individual networks. You will eventually make back what you spend on Pixel in monthly costs. For example, the Walmart AT&T
Go plan costs $45 a month for unlimited everything. If you pay $25 a month for
Project Fi coverage you will make back the entire cost of the phone in 46
months. I admit that seems like a LONG TIME but I feel the Pixel features will
be adequate for my business for years to come. Oh yeah, did I mention the Pixel
has the highest rated smartphone camera, ever, December 2016.
The OS also has Google Assistant built in, which can answer
just about any question you can come up with. The Google Assistant also ties
into other apps on the phone such as maps so all you have to do is say, "OK
Google, give me directions to Timbuktu" and Sha-zam/Gall-lee, you are
getting step-by-step directions without typing a thing.
There is also the benefit of how it ties into and presents your
text messaging and Gmail. These features are in your face as soon as you light
up the screen by pressing the side activation button. No more rummaging around to
get to your text messages, voice mail and such, which I really love.
OK, enough is enough as I sound like an advertisement for
Google which I don't what to do because of privacy concerns. There are things
wrong with the phone which you can find on YouTube and other websites. It was
not the phone but Project Fi that sold me on the Pixel as my next generation
business phone. For example, I feel the speaker sucks coming out of the bottom
of the phone. It is OK for a quiet place but if you are out walking with
traffic and want to carry on a conversation with either the speaker or with the
phone to your ear you can hardly hear anything.