Google’s Project Fi wireless network is getting a new mid-range smartphone option. As expected, the Motorola Moto X4 is coming to Fi… and as expected, it’ll be an Android One version of the phone.
That means the Android One Moto X4 will have the exact same hardware as any other version of the phone. But it will run nearly stock Android software and receive at least two years of security and feature updates.
The Android One Moto X4 goes up for pre-order from Project Fi starting today, and it’s available in black or blue color options. Update: Pre-orders are live.
Customers that want to trade in an old smartphone can qualify for credit. Google is offering up to $165 for older Nexus phones, up to $355 for a Samsung Galaxy S8+ or up to $388 for an iPhone 7 Plus, among other options.
Google is also providing a $50 Fi credit to customers who start the trade-in process before October 5th.
The Moto X4 has a 5.2 inch, 1920 x 1080 pixel AMOLED display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, and a 3,000 mAh battery.
It features dual rear cameras and the phone has an IP68 water resistance rating. It has both a USB Type-C port and a 3.5mm headphone jack, supports fast charging, and features 802.11ac WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC and a fingerprint sensor.
It also has a microSD card. That alone could make it attractive to some folks who’ve been disappointed that Google’s Nexus and Pixel devices tend to lack removable storage options.
As a stock Android fan who’s not particularly interested in spending $650 or more for my next phone, the Moto X4 is the device I’ve had my eye on for the past few weeks. Depending on how much money Google offers for a Nexus 5X trade-in, this could very well be my next phone.
Project Fi is an unusual wireless network in a bunch of ways. Like other MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators), Fi piggbyacks on existing networks rather than relying on its own. But it switches between T-Mobile, Sprint, and US Cellular depending on network conditions wherever you are… and it switches to WiFi whenever possible. As a Fi customers, that means when I make a call at home, it’s routed over my WiFi network. When I leave the house it’ll probably go out over T-Mobile or Sprint. But my phone always says it’s connected to Fi.
Google also charges $20 per month for unlimited talk and text and then $10 per month for each gigabyte of data you use… and the rate stays the same if you go over your monthly amount. If you use less than you’d paid for up front, Google will refund you. There are no additional fees for tethering or using data while roaming in 135 countries.
Those last bits are the reason I switched to Fi. Since I tend to work from home, it also ends up being one of the cheapest options for me… but if you’re a heavy data user, your results may be different.
But one problem with Project Fi is that up until now it has only officially supported Google Nexus and Pixel phones. With Google phasing out the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P, that means there were no low-cost or mid-range phones compatible with the network… until today.
It’s almost like Google heard me whining about the lack of choice in June. Almost.
Hopefully this is just the start of things to come. I’d love to not only see more of the high-quality mid-range phones on the market come to Project Fi, but also gain Android One-style software and updates for folks who don’t plan to use Project Fi.
Rumor has it HTC is working on Android One phone, and Xiaomi recently launched one… although it’s not compatible with most US wireless network bands.
via Android Central
Great news for any Project Fi fan. After lots of problems during Beta, it has served me well traveling. Having data the moment I step off a plane pretty much anywhere in the world has saved me lots of time, money and hassle.
Customer Service is great, too, TROUNCES ATT, Verizon and even T-Mobile!
Not sure I’m ready to trade in my trusty (2nd) N5x though – seems like a small upgrade. How do the cameras compare?
Yeah, I want to know about the cameras too. I really love the N5X camera… but don’t love its battery life or the way it chugs along with multitasking, dropping apps from memory when it runs out of RAM.
Where is the finger print reader? I’ve really gotten used to having on the back.
Hmm… looks like I can get $115 for my Nexus 5X + $50 in Fi credit… but now I’m wondering if it’s really much of an upgrade. I do really like the camera and fingerprint sensor placement on the N5X.
On the other hand, the key advantages of the Moto X4 includes 2 years of guaranteed updates (my N5X is nearly end of life), 50 percent more RAM, a bigger battery, dual cameras, an AMOLED display, and IP68 water resistance.
The Snapdragon 630 vs. Snapdragon 808 chips seem to be a bit of a wash. Each has different advantages.
Maybe I’ll wait and see if HTC’s Android One phone is also coming to Fi.
I found that Moto X Pure was pretty much in line with the Nexus 5X. The Moto X4, being 2 years newer should be a significant upgrade for all the reasons you mentioned. However, if the Nexus 5X is still working for you, there might not be a reason to rush to upgrade.
My wife likes the Moto G5 Plus a little more than her Moto X Pure that got broken. We were able to get the Moto G5 Plus (32GB) for $230 through a Best Buy deal, but it’s around $220 now on Amazon.
My point here is that the Moto X Pure (~$300 a few months ago), Nexus 5X, and Moto G5 Plus (~$220 now) are all pretty similar depending on your needs. The $399 price of the Moto X4 vs. the Moto G5 Plus seems to be rather steep for the specs. I think the main difference is the camera (plus Alexa compatibility, I think).
I realize that the Moto G5 Plus isn’t Project Fi compatible so it’s not an option for you. However, I think the X4 should come down to a $299 price pretty quickly. Maybe they are pricing the X4 at $399 to capitalize on early adopters or lack of Project Fi choices.
Google Fi has worked well for me, over the last year or so. Saved a _lot_ over att, and I have way better connectivity.
This is great. However, the sprint Network is awful and Mintsim.com is offering a better deal right now. $15 per month for Unlimited talk text and 2gb of LTE speed. You can pick from Sprint or T-Mobile too.
Yeah, but if you look over Mintsim.com’s customer reports, they seem less than… good? Not to mention, I love how their site doesn’t explicitly lay out that its Sprint and T-Mobile. At least not when I was looking at them last month.
To be fair, MVNOs almost never actually spell out which networks they’re using.
What’s nice about Fi is that you don’t pick between Sprint and T-Mobile. You get both. My wife is using an AT&T MVNO and she still gets better coverage than me in Philadelphia, but I wanted support for tethering and she didn’t. My monthly bill is usually lower than hers, but it goes up when I travel or spend a lot of time working remotely.