Google's Project Fi 1 Month Later - My Impressions

Project Fi is one month old for me. I know users have had it for 2-3 months now.  Pretty sure there were a lot of issues and difficulties in the beginning.  Well, this is my experience, my side of the story and my honest opinion so far. 

Day 1, I get the sim and the welcome kit. I will leave my unboxing videos and reviews below.  So I set up my account or finish setting up on my Google's Nexus 6. I created me a new number to use on Google Voice. At first I didn't think I would like this  service dealing that it was using Wifi and two carriers (T-Mobile & Sprint).  Now, I know you all thinking, why did Google choose those two carriers instead of At&t and Verizon? Right? Well T-Mobile is HSPA and Sprint is CMDA networks. How does connecting between 2 different networks wrok? Well Google gives you this special sim card that will conncet between them both whenever one gets a better signal, itll seamless switch to better network with good signal.  This I have witness with all four of my eyes.  Sometimes it would switch me while Im even in home.  But, at home, I'm on Wi-Fi.  This really didnt affect me as much.  It pretty easy to understand. Now, next my full experience with the network.

I live in East Saint Louis, IL, and I normally have T-Mobile as the better Network with LTE.  But, I seen sometimes it would switch me to Sprint even when the coverage map online tells me that T-Mobile is the stronger LTE signal. But, thanks to an app called "Fi Spy" that I downloaded from a Google developer, I was able to connect to the better Network in my area. Now, another instance,  while I was visiting a friend in Belleville, IL, it seems that Sprint LTE signal was stronger in some areas of Belleville than T-Mobile was. Which was true. I also had great signal when I was in Collinsville, Caseyville, Fairview Heights, Ofallo, IL., and St. Louis, MO with the T-Mobile LTE.    But, I had no problems sending or receiving SMS messages via Project Fi. This is what you will see if you have on all of the Project Fi settings turned on in messaging apps and phone calling and via Google Hangouts and your stock dialer app. With my Google Voice number, I have added call forwarding as well. So when I am away from my phone, I can answer on my PC or tablet. Very useful at times.

Now for the wifi hotspots.  Google says that with this service to keep your Wifi settings turned on at all times.  Like I mentioned earlier, your phone can be used over Wifi.  It detects what Wifi signal is free and open to use. So, Im in a StarBucks, it will connect me seamlessly to StarBucks Wifi connection. This also happened to me as I was in Best Buy and as well as JC Penny's.  Even when I seemed like I was at my weakest signal, I was able to stay connected due to a Wi-Fi hotspot that connected me.  I also have this free Wifi Hotspot app finder called "WiMan" which finds me free wifi in the area and allows me to download a map of the wifi locations for offline use. Oh, dont worry, Google is on the back end protecting all of my data via VPns and keys.  As I said earlier too, I was on WiFi all the time at home.  So no need to even have had my data turned on.  You get WiFi calling also on Google's Project Fi. Things just seemed  much in placed.

 I have been on the $20 unlimited talk and text which everyone gets the basic plan and than I added 2GB of data for an extra $20.  So for unlimited talk and text and 2GB of data, my plan for the month was $40.  I know for some 2GB of data isnt enough and that people probably can go through that amount in one day.  But, with Google's Project Fi you get credited back for what you dont use.  I have only used up 1.4GB out of 2GB.  What does this mean? I will be credit back $6. So this month my bill was really $34. Now, can you say the carrier you with will do that? Plus, Google doesnt throttle your data at all.  So, if you do go over your limit, Google will only charge you for what you used.  Google only allows you to use up 10GB of data each month and that would be a cost of $100 for the data plus $20 for just unlimited talk and text.  But, you think about it, since google is running off Sprint and T-Mobile's towers, you are paying for 2 carriers in one. That is a pretty cool deal. Which in the end this could be cheaper on an individual plan without unlimited.  But Google's phone plans aren't for everyone as i seen a lot of users and reviewers down play Google's plans and services. I must admit, this is not for hardcore data users.  What I mean by that is that you if use more than 10GB of data each month, than its not for you.  But, if you are like me and always around Wi-Fi and can stay under 10GB of data, then you will love this phone service. 

My final thoughts about Google's Project Fi is  for me, it just works! It goes out and it keeps me connected.   The prices for these plans are great, for my living it is just right for me.  Google's Project Fi is the best phone service that I have ever had. It is also the cheapest.  I definitely would recommend this service to anyone that wants to try something new and different.  Just a reminder, that Google's phone service will ONLY work with the Goole's Nexus 6.  But, luckily enough Amazon and Best Buy both dropped the prices now on the Nexus 6 to $349 for the 32GB and $399 for the 64GB model in colors blue and white.  The Nexus phones are also unlocked as well so you don't have to worry about being stuck in one carrier and as for  Google's Project Fi, you are using 2 networks in one. This is how you kill 2 birds with 1 stone.  This is my 30 day review on the Google's Project Fi.  Let me know your takes on it.  

GOOGLE PROJECT Fi 1 MONTH LATER 

PROJECT Fi SWTICHED ME TO SPRINT FROM TMOBILE

HOW TO REQUEST INVITE FOR GOOGLE PROJECT Fi

GOOGLE PROJECT Fi WELCOME SIM KIT UNBOXING

GOOGLE PROJECT Fi 2 DAYS LATER VIDEO

Moto G 1 Month Later Review

The Moto G 3rd gen is one of the best low-midrange android smartphones you can buy right now.  This phone is very customizes from the very start.  You can buy it in black or white.  You can also swap back covers to your liking and add engravings to it.  You can even change how it boots up.  This phone is waterproof too.   When removing the back you will have a slot for the sim and a slot for the microSD card.  This phone has a 5 inch 720p display.  Has a speaker in front on the bottom chin part.  It comes with the Moto Assistant and I love it.  Very helpful at times i need it to work. It has stock and pure vanilla Android.  No bloatware or skins.  Just some useful apps from Moto and of course the main Google apps that needed.  For this phone to have SD410 and only 1GB of RAM, it is super speedy and fast.  The performance is great and it just works all around.  Not to forget to mention that  this phone is unlocked and I can take it T-Mobile networks or At&t networks.  It has carrier freedom.  If that what you are missing, then you need to take a look into this phone.  The pictures I took with the 5MP front facing camera showed really great! The 13MP rear camera is as the same it is in my Nexus 6.  This is a close call when it comes to the rear shots. But the cameras wont leave you disappointed at all.  The battery life.  Can't complain at all about the battery life.  It only has a 2400 mah battery, but this battery last me a day and a half! My Nexus 6 can't even last a day without it being on a full charge.  So the battery life is great on the Moto G.  The call quality is awesome as well.  Everyone heard me crystal clear.  The one speaker on the bottom of the front of the phone pushes out pretty loud for video and music.  Great clarity. I have nothing negative to say about this phone! It just works! Oh... On more thing! That price tag! Its just only $179! What more can you ask for? Nothing further more to say. 

HP Envy 15 360 2-in-1 8 Months Later

The HP Envy 15 X360 Convertible PC is a 2 in 1 PC.  It is a laptop and it is a tablet as well.  It can flip back 360 degrees. This means you will be able to use it as a tablet. Then you when you need the keyboard, you bring the screen back to its normal set.  But that not all it can be used for.  It has other modes as well. These modes are tent mode, entertainment mode, productivity mode, and presentation mode. This will all be shown in a video demo coming soon. So the real reason you all want to read about this is what  it comes with. So frist, lets talk about the specs.

SPECS.

The HP Envy 15 X360 Convertible PC has a 15.6 FULL HD Touchscreen display.  This screen is also huge in tablet mode.  Also comes with a HD web cam that records in 720p.  The screen resolution is 1920X1080.  Which means in other words the screen is in 1080p HD.  Now I know that is not the most powerful resolution, but te 1080p should be standard  by now, as we have smartphones that can display 2K res and TVs with 4K and 5K monitors like iMac and Dells.  But the 1080p on a laptop and tablet are still great for viewing web, movies, Youtube, and etc.  This has a 4th generation Intel Core of i5 processor (1.7 GHz).  But it can boost up to 2.4 GHz of turbo.  It has 750 GB of Hard Drive space.  This should be more than enough memory to the basic user needs. It also has 8GB of RAM for speed.  This is pretty good for multi tasking and casual gaming and watching videos. You shouldn't any lags at all.  This comes with full Windows 8.1 and 64 bit. Definitely would recommend 64-bit to anyone.  So you are able to get the best out of Windows 8.1.  It has WLAN and Bluetooth, and also has Touchscreen and multitouch enabled.  There are also 3 USB ports, 1 2.0 USB and 2 3.0 USB ports, an HDMI port, a full SD card slot, a microphone,headphone jack, a volume rocker on the side, and a standard ETHER net port.  One more thing, the keyboard has a LED backlit light on the inside. So you are able to type in dim lighting. Cool, huh?

FEATURES

It has 360 degrees of versatility. Its designed to stand out from the crowd.  Work in notebook mode, watch in stand mode, play in tent mode and go in tablet mode.  HP Control Zone Trackpad.  This will allow you to navigate Windows 8.1 with ease. This product will also allow you to use Office 365 for free 30 day trial, Mcafee anti-virus for free 30 days and HP Cloud.

PROS

The good things about this PC is that it has more than enough memory and power for any user.  The keyboard feels great when typing. The touchscreen is very responsive and you can even use a stylus on it to write and draw things with.  The sound quality is amazing, forgot to mention that it has beatsaudio by Dre. So you get incredible sound when it comes to media.  The trackpad is cool. You can do a lot of commands with it.  The 360 degrees is just great, so many ways you can use this PC. Last thing, the price! Now if you not able to buy a Surface Pro 3, which they both pretty much do the same thing, this device cost $799.99 in Best Buy and $799.99 at HP.om

CONS

Now there are a few minor set backs.  But what device doesn't have any at all?  The battery life. I didnt mention the battery life at all. Well the reason being is because on a heavy usage without the plug, you will only get 3 hours! The most hours I got without it being charged up is about 5-6 hours on light usage. That means only surfing the web or checking emails and reading in tablet mode, doing school work, etc. It does get a little uncomfortable holding in tablet mode as this device weighs 5.5 pounds. It is pretty heavy in tablet mode. Also somewhat of HPs design with this device especially it looks uneven and not level off right like Lenovo's Yoga Pro device is. But to be honest, it really doesn't bother me as much.  If you are worried about the keyboard being damaged when having it in tablet mode, it's best if you place the device on an even surface or flat table. In tablet mode, you won't have to worry about the keys setting something off because the keyboard will turn off.  One more thing, you are a hardcore gamer, that likes playing call of duty and Halo or Gears of War, this device won't be able to run those games efficiently. But the Windows games and Xbox Live games play just fine. Like Fifa 15 and Halo Assault and Asphalt 8.

CONCLUSION

In the end, this device will get any task done. Whether you have it in tablet mode, notebook mode. Whatever you want it to do, it will do. Maybe even better. Looking at the Macbook? Well can that allow you to write and use to apps at the same time? Can it turn into a tablet as well? I think you all know what this convertible is able to do by now.  I love this device. While I only had it for only about a week, I have been getting the most attention since I made the switch to a Hybrid PC.  Any questions or concerns, leave a comment below. Thanks

Google Nexus 6: 3 Months Later

GOOGLE NEXUS 6

Although the Google Nexus 6 has been out for 8 months, I have only owned my own Nexus 6 for 3 months. Well, when it first released, it was launched with Android 5.0 Lollipop. Boy, did lollipop have it's issues and problems on the Nexus 5 and Nexus 6 and even other Nexus devices. But since then Lollipop has grown on me and so has the Nexus 6. Just within my 3 months of owning it, I have seen some major improvements and received the latest Android 5.1.1 last week through T-Mobile. This update added Wi-Fi calling.  Nexus 6 is still a wonderful device to own. The battery life is well, a hit or miss, it varies per consumer. Watching videos and gaming are just great! This phone to me is great for texting and typing. Although there is no multi window function, you still can do some great multi tasking with this device and even with help of a few extra apps you can download from the Google Play store.  The front facing speakers are amazing. Listening to your music, playing your games and watching video clips or movies, your hands won't be in the way especially if you are using a case that includes a kickstand.  While some users are using the latest preview of Android M, I'm still happy with what Android 5.1.1 and lollipop for right now. For what's it worth.  Just a day ago Google had discounted the price of the Nexus 6 $150 off! For the 32GB model you are looking at $499.99 and for the 64GB model, your looking at $549.99 now on the Google store, Best Buy, and Amazon. One more treat for the buyers today, Google is also throwing in some free ear buds, battery pack, and a free case when you purchase a Google Nexus 6 today. This might be hinting us that the Project Fi is almost here and being ready to roll out. Or not. But this phone has been the best phone I have yet to own. Even though I seen its up and downs, I wouldn't trade it for the world. That is until the Note 5 or next phablet Nexus release.  To purchase the Nexus 6 now with disciounts, follow the links below:

Amazon Link:

http://www.amazon.com/Motorola-Nexus-32GB-Unlocked-Midnight/dp/B00R1984DI/ref=sr_1_1?s=wireless&ie=UTF8&qid=1433399065&sr=1-1&keywords=Nexus+6&pebp=1433399075363&perid=1083ZMW67E8QY58VD4RA

BEST BUY:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/motorola-nexus-6-4g-with-64gb-memory-cell-phone-unlocked-midnight-blue/3967011.p?id=1219610985372&skuId=3967011

Google Nexus 6 on T-Mobile Android 5.1.1

Google Nexus 6 Review:

NEXUS 6 One Month Later

Hello everybody, its me again with another incredible article! Now, I know just a little over a month ago I still rolling with the LG G Flex (gen 1).  I'm sure you all remembered bashing every other phone out there including the Galaxies and the Notes when it came to the G Flex. Well, its time came and went. Besides, the G Flex was aging and I would've had to get another smartphone anyways.  But, enough about what to that old phone I had.  Lets talk about the one I been with for the last month!

NEXUS 6

The Nexus 6 is by Google and Motorola. Two of the most innovative tech companies and phone manufactures that are out. Now, you would think by having these two giants come together they are a beast!  I mean sure, not all will like the 6 inch display or that it has 2K resolution.  But, it is definitely a true phablet in my eyes. No need for a 7inch tablet. So, hey no tablet needed then.  No removable battery, but I have been using the Moto Turbo charger.  It works great. It gives me 6 hours of battery life extra when i need it.  The 3GB of RAM and 32GB of ROM is more than enough for me to use this device. No, it doesn't have SD card slot to insert. No problem for me, I use my cloud accounts such as OneDrive, Google Drive and Dropbox. They are all secured and I can access them anytime, anywhere.  So thats where all of my videos I record and photos are placed. In the clouds.  The gaming and video picture quality are just great.  I really don't see me upgrading to anything else.  I have stock android and that it is a Nexus 6, so since it is a Google product, it would be one of the few to receive a Android OS update first.  So, no worries in that department. Now, about the Android updates.  As when I first purchase the Nexus 6, I really didnt get to play with Android 5.0.  But, I do know it wasn't the best and yes it was very buggy and laggy and even slow at times.  So glad I didn't live through that. Now with 5.0.1 update right out the box as soon as I had everything setup.  Android 5.0.1 was just to pretty much fixed what 5.0 couldn't do.  Andorid 5.0.1 wasn't bad at all from my experience with the nexus device.  I mean sure, there were times a app didnt open and there were times a app crashed. Sometimes the Google Play Services error would appear on screen.   Didn't say that the phone or OS was perfect. No, it will never be perfect. If that would make the case, then even iOS users would switch real quick!  But that is not the case at all.  For the most part, it can do what it is set out to do.  A little over a week ago, I have received one of the biggest updates of the year for Android and the Nexus 6, Android 5.1. Now Android 5.1 adds more options for alarm toggling in the quick settings for priority settings and  Wifi and bluetooth options as well. Now you dont have to go through the manual settings just to switch Wifi connections or bluetooh.  You switch right from your quick settings mode.  You also get animation with portrait and auto-rotate mode.    There were also some more bug fixes and minor improvements as well.  But a couple of days ago, my phone did stop responding due to the UI not responding.  But I let it play it out and then the phone back to work.  I dont know if that had to do anything with the update or a particular app. So I downloaded the Device Assist app from Google for the Nexus, GPE (google play edition), and the android one devices.  According to the app, my Nexus 6 is doing good.  Which I think is pretty odd, if the UI had stopped responded.  No worries now, because it is working just find.

MY THOUGHTS

After one month of owning the Nexus 6 aka Moto X Nexus, I find this phone to be the BEST out behind the S6 and M9, because fanboys of the galaxies will get their voices heard first. But, its about what I like now and how I feel.  The Nexus 6 has stock android. You really can't go wrong with stock and it also has Google Now Launcher included on board with the phone.  It has all of your favorite Google apps and no BLOATWARE.  So plenty of memory with my 32GB model. It had 25GB available storage and I still have 23GB of storage left. Plus my cloud storage. 2K display is very nice.  Not as great as the Note 4's due to Super AMOLED VS AMOLED. You'll have to see the difference in person.  The camera I forgot to mention is better than what I heard. With my experiences and photoshots, the picture quality came out great and the 4K video is decent. It isn't the best. I'll give it that.  The battery life is average and with the Moto charger, it helps out.  This phone has almost been out for 6 months now on the market. I still would recommend this device.  I would definitely keep the Nexus in the top 10 and even in the top 5 smartphones for 2014-2015.  So, there you all have it.  My take on the Nexus 6.  What are your thoughts on the Motorola X Nexus?  Leave the comments below.