What you need to know
- Google Fi has confirmed that it will no longer activate non-VoLTE phones starting January 1.
- The MVNO is offering a $100 credit to customers to upgrade to a phone with VoLTE support before December 31.
- Google Fi says existing non-VoLTE phones will continue to work in the "near term."
In July this year, T-Mobile announced that it would require all phones on its network to support VoLTE from January 2021. Google Fi, which leverages T-Mobile and U.S. Cellular networks, has now said that it will stop activating (or reactivating) phones without VoLTE support from January 1, 2021 (via 9to5Google).
To encourage its customers to upgrade to a new phone with VoLTE support, Google is offering a promotional $100 credit. However, you'll get the bill credit only if you buy a new device from Google Fi and activate it before December 31. It is also worth noting that only subscribers with 3G phones that were active on Fi as of December 3 are eligible for the promotion.
Google Fi says existing devices will continue to be supported in the "near term," but it hasn't confirmed a specific date for the end of 3G service. As noted by 9to5Google, however, you won't be able to reconnect to Google Fi if you need to reset your 3G phone for some reason after January 1.
In addition to Google's Pixel phones, you can currently save up to $400 on the best Android phones from Samsung and Motorola on Fi. If you don't want to buy a phone directly from Google Fi, you can also buy your own phone.
