Google’s Project Fi to add official support for Samsung, OnePlus, iPhones, & more with a catch

Ben Schoon | Nov 27 2018 - 9:34 am PT

Google’s Project Fi wireless service is a great option for a lot of users, but it’s restricted to just a handful of devices. Today, Google is going to announce that more devices, including iPhones, will be able to officially use Project Fi, albeit in a limited capacity.

With what seems to be a broken embargo post from BGR (since removed, via Droid-Life), we’re getting some early details regarding some upcoming plans from Google regarding Project Fi. While, sadly, there’s no clear mention here about an official rebrand from Project Fi to Google Fi, more devices do seem to be joining the Fi family.

At the moment, Project Fi only works on Pixel devices, a couple of Nexus smartphones, and a select few devices from Motorola and LG. Of course, data-only SIMs can be used on pretty much any device, but that still has restrictions. In a coming blog post, though, it seems Google is planning to announce further official support for more devices.

The post specifically mentions devices from Samsung, OnePlus, as well as brands already working with Fi in Motorola and LG. Most surprisingly, it looks like Google is adding official support on Fi for iPhones, at least in beta form.

Interestingly, Google does have a catch for these other devices. The “full Google Fi experience” is limited to devices which are “designed for Fi.” That includes the likes of Pixels and other devices sold in the Fi store. What does that mean for these new devices? Essentially it means that they won’t be able to hop between T-Mobile, Sprint, and WiFi like Project Fi is so well known for. That’s a major limitation for sure, though.

Google has yet to publish an official post about this change, but we’ll presumably see something soon. In the meantime, this is what we know based on the broken embargo.