[chrysaurora]

Google Fi is basically an MVNO that runs on Sprint, T-Mobile, US Cellular etc. It automatically switches to the network that has best signal in the area. If you look at Google Fi's phone selection - it is Google's brand devices and a couple of Motorola and LG devices.

While, technically, you can use any phone but if you use an unsupported phone, the phone just remains on TMobile and you don't get to take advantage of key feature (auto network switching).

So, the device selection there is so few that if BlackBerry got their devices certified by Google Fi then it should result in uptick of sales. There are not hundreds of devices to compete with there.

Here are the devices: https://fi.google.com/about/phones/

[Dunt Dunt Dunt]

What would it cost to get certified to meet Google FI (and probable Sprint, T-Mobile and US Cellular) requirements?

As the only PKB supplier... not sure they are really competing on the device, but the format. If it comes down to actually competing on just the device... you think a $650 KEY2 has a chance against a $600 LG V35.

Never mind that it's possible that these are special hardware units... not sure what 3x Carrier Aggregation means in standard Bands. But with Sprint being a CDMA as is US Cellular... and neither of them really implementing LTE only yet. Proable would also require a "special" varriant to be manufactured. Or you'd be locked on T-Mobile anyway.

I expect Google FI list is short for a reason...

[TgeekB]

I tried Google Fi, twice. Never will again.
Horrible coverage in my area.

[maltesh]

As someone who's been on Fi for the past three years, I'd be hard-pressed to recommend it who someone who doesn't fit into its exact use case. If you use a fair bit of mobile data, there are definitely cheaper options. I don't do a lot of travelling to places where its servie is weaker, so I can't really compare there.

As such, I imagine the core customers of Fi are primarily Pixel Faithful, and family members of said Pixel Faithful who are on family plans (with a side order of people who are only in to get seasonal discounts on Pixels before taking the phone elsewhere). I don't think getting certified is going to be that helpful for sales for any other phone.

[Trust_me_Im_a_linguist]

I tried Google Fi, twice. Never will again.
Horrible coverage in my area.

I suppose I get that. I've had both sprint and T-mobile individually. I was thoroughly unimpressed with each carrier. My experience on Google-Fi was largely positive. This was during my dark days when I decided to cast aside all of my principals and experimented with devices which were not only lacked a PKB, but were not even BlackBerry.

I'm not proud of it. I was young.

Nevertheless, when I was just with Google Fi, I was quite pleased with the coverage. This being said, I live in a metro area, and on those occasions where I went off the beaten path I did have a lot of issues with signal quality. Were it compatible with BlackBerry phones I might give it another go, if only because I appreciated the transparency in their pricing.

For me, the severe restrictions on supported devices is just something I wasn't able to work around, and if you use Google streaming services when you're on the road, you're going to chew up all that data pretty quickly.

[TgeekB]

I suppose I get that. I've had both sprint and T-mobile individually. I was thoroughly unimpressed with each carrier. My experience on Google-Fi was largely positive. This was during my dark days when I decided to cast aside all of my principals and experimented with devices which were not only lacked a PKB, but were not even BlackBerry.

I'm not proud of it. I was young.

Nevertheless, when I was just with Google Fi, I was quite pleased with the coverage. This being said, I live in a metro area, and on those occasions where I went off the beaten path I did have a lot of issues with signal quality. Were it compatible with BlackBerry phones I might give it another go, if only because I appreciated the transparency in their pricing.

For me, the severe restrictions on supported devices is just something I wasn't able to work around, and if you use Google streaming services when you're on the road, you're going to chew up all that data pretty quickly.

In theory I think it is a good concept, especially that you can use it in Europe also with no additional cost. That’s what really had me interested since I do travel once in a while. The price is good too though I use Cricket and really can’t complain about either the coverage or price.
They have expanded supported devices though it is certainly still limited. The fact that BlackBerry wasn’t one of them neither surprised me nor bothered me. Would be nice but not necessary.
It was all about the horrible coverage that crippled me from using it.

[Rootbrian]

Since it uses two CDMA and one GSM carrier, the dominant devices would require CDMA radios in addition to GSM. So that's why it is a small list of devices.

Submitted via blackberry passport on freedom mobile HSPA+ or LTE

[pnw_yetti]

I'd be willing to try it, as I travel internationally a few months a year. Currently on Verizon, and have service all over the place remote and international alike.

If they had better service than CDMA, I'd pull the trigger.

I suppose I'll keep monitoring them to see how they develop. The have unlimited data plans now.