Google Fi or Pocket WIFI for Japan?

[hubofhockey]

For two people, for a month, Google Fi is $110.  You get free calls to the USA, unlimited data, 5G coverage in Japan, and can keep your regular phone number.  

 

Ninja pocket WIFI with insurance and power bank is $139.  It requires pick up and return at the airport and no phone (I suppose you can use facetime audio or whatsapp).  

 

Google Fi would work on day in Busan, South Korea as well (Ninja, my guess would not).  I suppose the other advantages to Google Fi would be each spouse being able to call the other seamlessly, probably even on the ship in ports. 

 

I was going to get the pocket WIFI, but I would like to know what the advantages to pocket WIFI are.  Seemingly, you can tether with either.  I am concerned with connectivity while on the ship in Japan.  I have heard that Ninja works well even on the ship.  The Celebrity Basic WIFI was forced on us by getting Aqua and that seems like money flushed. 

 

 

[Milhouse]

If cost is not a factor, I'd rather have connectivity/Internet access directly off our phones rather than using a pocket wifi device.  It allows you to separate and keep in touch as you mention.  And you don't have to worry about charging another device.  I guess one consideration would have been if you are also bringing a laptop and if you can tether it off your phones on Google Fi but it's a non-factor since you mention you also have X's ship wifi.  

 

I've used Ninja's pocket wifi for a couple of trips to Japan and they work great from a connectivity perspective for multiple devices but everyone has to be in range, the devices I used didn't last the entire day so I occasionally turned it off to conserve power and needed to charge midday either at a pitstop at the hotel or via a powerbank, it's a slight inconvenience to pick it up & drop it off, and you have another item to track to make sure it doesn't get lost. 

From a cost perspective, Ninja always seems to have a sale or promo code going on.  Eg. I just received an email for a 10th anniversary 20% off deal.  So check if that moves the needle on cost.  

 

The last factor is how good the connectivity/coverage is.  IIRC, Ninja's pocket wifi's run off of Softbank's network which (I just googled)appears to be the third largest carrier in Japan.  If Google Fi roams on the largest carrier, NTT Docomo, perhaps you'll have better connectivity/coverage than using Ninja's pocket wifi.

 

[hubofhockey]

Thanks for your response.  Google Fi uses Softbank as well.  There is no cost savings on Google Fi.  My post above is misleading.  Google Fi  is $110 for two phones unlimited, but it's probably to closer to $130 with taxes and regulatory fees to state and federal government. Two phones on Google Fi is probably similar cost to Ninja pocket wifi.  I suppose the main reasons for the choice are using phones for calls using your US phone # and convenience.  For the most part, we will only Facetime over WIFI , so US number not needed, but it would be useful for calling within Japan even with charges.

 

I called Google Fi and they told me to activate a week before my trip to Japan just to make sure everything is working and leave them a week to work on problems if so. I have heard that Google Fi works well in Japan and all over Asia, but may have issues in Eastern Europe.  We have a cruise next year on the Iberian coast and other parts of western Europe, so if it works this May, we'll do it again next May.

 

 

 

 

[Happy_Traveler_2008]

I have been using Google Fi for many years and have no issues with data/phone connection in Western Europe or East Asia. Used it in Japan without any issue.  Love the convenience of not paying extra for internet connection overseas.