If you’ve been considering giving Google Fi a try, now might be the perfect time to take it out for a spin. The carrier is test-driving a trial program for new customers that would allow you to preview the service for a week for free using the eSIM on your device.
When you sign up for the trial you’ll be given a number to use for the week. With it, you’ll receive unlimited talk, text, and data, including the ability to use your phone as a mobile hot spot. Once the week is over, you can decide to sign up for the service and keep that trial number, or sign up and port your existing number over to the service, reports 9to5Google.
Like all great deals there are a few caveats. The trial itself is in beta, which means it’s not going to be available for everyone. Google is also restricting the amount of data free trial users will be able to access. During the trial you’ll be able to use up to 10GB of data as normal, but after that first 10GB it will start to throttle your data connection, so you’ll experience slow speeds — something it doesn’t do to Google Fi subscribers (throttling starts at 15GB for its lowest tier plan and 50GB at its highest).
That said, 10GB of data is a pretty decent purse to go into the week with, and you should be fine with most normal use. In addition to all that data it’s also giving you access to Google Fi’s spam blocking and VPN services.
One huge advantage of this trial supporting eSIMs in particular is that you don’t have to wait for a physical SIM to come in the mail. If you’ve been thinking about giving the service a try and were concerned about coverage, a week is also a decent amount of time to determine if you’re able to connect the places you travel to most often, especially since Google recently made the switch to using T-Mobile's network exclusively.
If you do decide to sign on for good, Google Fi plans start at $50 for a single-person unlimited plan with 5GB of hotspot tethering per month. The free trial option should start showing up for eligible folks on Google Fi's website Thursday.
Google Fi
Google Fi is a prepaid phone carrier with coverage and features squarely aimed at Android users. It stands out by offering an unparalleled international roaming feature with competitive pricing when you bring multiple lines. Google Fi also makes use of multiple cell networks for strong 5G and Wi-Fi coverage in both urban and rural areas.