Verizon-owned carrier Visible has added eSIM support for several Samsung and Google Pixel devices. eSIMs, or embedded SIMs, are built into mobile devices to connect users to telecom networks, similar to traditional SIM cards. They have been around for several years but remain a relatively underused feature in modern telecommunication. The feature can be found in many current smartphones, including the latest iPhones, Pixel devices and Galaxy handsets. Sony, Microsoft, Honor and many other vendors also support eSIMs in at least some of their models.
Headquartered in Denver, Visible is an all-digital wireless carrier, meaning it has no physical stores. Instead, users can sign-up for the service on the company's website or the Visible app, which is available on both Android and iOS. The company uses Verizon's 4G and 5G networks to offer its services, which means users get the same quality as the more established carrier, but at a lower price. Visible primarily competes against a slew of prepaid brands from the major carriers, including T-Mobile's Metro, AT&T's Cricket Wireless and Dish's Boost Mobile.
Visible offers eSIM support for several Android devices, including Pixel and Galaxy smartphones. The supported Pixel devices include the Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a 5G UW, Pixel 5, Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. The supported Galaxy devices have the Galaxy Z Fold 3 5G; Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra 5G; Galaxy S21, S21+ and S21 Ultra 5G; and Galaxy S22, S22+ and S22 Ultra 5G. The company says that Android users with any of the phones mentioned above can switch to the new carrier in as little as 15 minutes, thanks to the eSIM technology.
Visible Also Offers eSIM Support For iPhones
Alongside Android devices, Visible's eSIM feature also supports a whole host of iPhones, including the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone SE (2nd-gen), iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone SE (3rd-gen), iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Mini, iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max. Folks who are still unsure about whether their exact model will be compatible with the carrier's services can check for compatibility using Visible's official compatibility checker tool.
Visible offers unlimited 5G data, talk, text and hotspot at $40 a month, which can go to as low as $25 per month for parties of four or more with Party Pay. The plans are significantly cheaper than anything that Verizon or any of the other major carriers have to offer. However, on the downside, the company gives preference to Verizon users in times of heavy traffic by artificially throttling the speeds of its customers. Overall, though, Visible offers excellent value for money if users are willing to sacrifice a few conveniences here and there.