![]() ![]() Rather, Verizon’s high-speed 5G coverage is usually concentrated in highly trafficked areas downtown. Just because Verizon has Ultra Wideband coverage in a particular city, that doesn’t mean the entire city is covered. AT&T vs.Verizon 5G coverage (Image credit: Verizon) Best Cell Phone Family Plans - Verizon vs.Best Cheap Cell Phone Service - Monthly Plans for Under $40.Customers with big data needs who also want to keep monthly costs under control should take a look at Verizon's upstart subsidiary, especially if they don't need the fastest possible network speeds. Unlimited data for $40 is tough to pass up, though Visible's speed and streaming restrictions are worth noting. Only one other carrier - TextNow - matches Visible's $40 price for unlimited LTE data. MetroPCS has a $60 plan with unlimited data and 10GB of hotspot data, and while it has 480p video, it offers LTE speeds. Boost, for example, offers unlimited data, talk and text with 480p video, music at up to 500kbps and streaming cloud gaming at up to 2mbps at $50 per month, with the same caveat about being slowed down when the network is congested. Visible's plan sounds similar to what you get on some low-cost carriers. How does Visible compare to other carriers? The Visible Protect service covers accidental damage, loss, theft and out-of-warranty mechanical breakdowns. If you buy a phone from Visible, you can opt for device protection through the carrier. Responses were fairly prompt when we tested the service, though that could change should more customers join Visible. The Visible app, which you have to keep on your phone in order to manage your account, includes a live chat feature between 8 a.m. There are a few noteworthy features, though, starting with the carrier's approach to customer support. And indeed, Visible keeps its special offers to a minimum. When you're charging someone only $40 for unlimited data, you don't really have to offer a lot of perks to sweeten the deal. What special features does Visible offer? (Most low-cost carriers require you to pay the full price of a phone upfront, which is why they largely concentrate on budget models.) Installment plans are at zero-percent interest and require no down payment. In an unusual move for a discount carrier, Visible lets you buy the phone in monthly installments. Prices are in line with what you'd pay for the phones if you bought them directly from Samsung or Apple. In addition to the S9 and S9+, the carrier sells 11 different iPhone models - the three iPhones Apple introduced in 2018, the original iPhone X, the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus and the iPhone SE. Visible now sells smartphones, too, after requiring initial customers to bring their own device. Those are the only Android phones that work with the service now, but Visible says that more will be added. If you asked that question back in 2018, the answer would have simply been "the iPhone." But that changed this January, when Visible extended support to the Galaxy S9 and S9+. And that 480p video streaming restriction had very little impact, especially on a smartphone-sized screen. Folks who do a lot of streaming or uploading and downloading of files from their phone may be more impacted. The thing is, if you primarily use your phone to check Twitter, read email and do light web-browsing, you may be able to get away with that cap on speeds. And in areas where Verizon's speeds weren't as good, we really noticed an impact on Visible. While download speeds topped 5 Mbps every now and again, speeds stayed under that cap for the most part, even in areas where Verizon-tied phones were downloading data at a faster clip. Music also streams at 500 Kbps.Īdditionally, Visible's FAQ says that "when the network gets congested your data could slow up for a bit."ĭo those restrictions matter? When we tested Visible's service, we found out the carrier definitely isn't kidding about that 5 Mbps cap. So sure, you get unlimited data, it's just not very fast data, nor will you enjoy the best image quality. Download speeds are just 5 Mbps, and the videos are only 480p, which isn't standard HD. If $40 for unlimited talk, text and data sounds too good to be true, you should realize you'll have to live with some restrictions when using Visible. ![]()
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