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Verizon's $40 Visible service will support Android devices, starting with the Galaxy S9
- Visible offers a $40-per-month unlimited plan that works on Verizon’s 4G LTE network.
- There is now Visible Android support, and you can buy the Samsung Galaxy S9 through the online-only carrier.
- Support for all Android phones isn’t here yet, but more OEMs are coming soon.
When Visible launched in mid-2018, it was an exciting new entry into the online-only mobile carrier service space. However, Android users were disappointed to find that only iOS devices worked on the carrier.
Now, however, Visible Android support is here. Not only that, but you will be able to buy Android smartphones directly from Visible, starting with the 2018 flagship Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus.
As of now, only the Galaxy S9 will work with Visible as far as Android phones go, whether you buy it through Visible or bring your current unlocked device. However, Android Authority sat down with Visible CEO Miguel Quiroga at CES 2019, and he assured us that support for a broader range of Android devices is on the way.
“We are chasing down every single manufacturer to get them to be eligible for our service,” Quiroga said. “As time progresses, more and more customers will be eligible for Visible.”
For now, only the Galaxy S9 will work on Visible, but many more Android devices will be supported soon.
The way Visible works is much like other online-based carriers. Customers sign up for service online via the Visible Android app (still in beta) and order a SIM card to be shipped through the mail. Once the SIM card arrives, they pop it into their existing phone and activate it. That’s all there is to it; they then use their phone as normal.
If the customer instead decides to buy their device through Visible, they’ll have some cool options. Visible offers zero percent financing for its phones (through partner company Affirm) and also offers insurance programs to protect the device against damage and defects. The device ships together with the SIM card, making the whole process very straightforward.
Once activated, the phone will operate on Verizon’s 4G LTE network, which is currently the largest in the U.S. Users get unlimited talk, text, data, and hotspot tethering on the network for only $40-per-month, which includes all taxes and assorted fees.
Visible is cheap, for sure, but you're going to have to make a few sacrifices for those cash savings.
There are two major caveats to the service. The first is that network speeds are capped at 5Mbps. However, there is no throttling — no matter how much data you use, it will always be at 5Mbps. The second is that video streams are capped at 480p while on the network, which might not look so great on your 1440p smartphone display.
But hey, only $40.
If you’re interested in checking out Visible, click the button below to install the beta Visible Android app and explore the company’s offers.