These are the best phones to try out Visible's unlimited data
When it first launched in May 2018, Visible made a significant mark on the carrier space since $40 a month for unlimited everything on Verizon sounds too good to be true. One of the few drawbacks to the service is that Visible only works with a small selection of Android phones, but that doesn't mean it's impossible to be an Android user and get the most out of what the carrier has to offer. The Google Pixel 6 is one of the best Visible phones, thanks to great hardware with 5G and a pure Android experience with plenty of updates on the way.
Best overall Visible phone: Google Pixel 6
The Pixel 6 from Google is one of the best Android phones you can get on any carrier, and Visible is ready for it right off the bat. The Pixel 6 is the first Pixel to use Google's custom Tensor chipset. This hardware upgrade helps the Pixel 6 deliver silky-smooth performance on Android 12 with Material You design. Material You aims to make Android more cohesive while retaining the customization features Android fans have grown to love.
The cameras are nearly impossible to miss hiding behind a large black bar on the back of the phone. A 50MP main camera works with Google's camera app to churn out some of the best photos ever taken on a phone. With significant advancements over the previous generations, the Pixel 6's camera delivers beautiful images even in challenging lighting situations.
The Pixel 6 also has 5G with low-band nationwide 5G and upcoming C-band connections supported. So while you won't get access to mmWave speeds, you should have more than enough performance for just about anything you want to get done on a phone. This phone also has excellent LTE support for those living in areas that Verizon's 5G network has yet to be covered.
Pros:- Phenomenal camera
- Beautiful AMOLED display with 90Hz
- Smooth performance
- IP68 water resistance
- 5G support with C-band
- Some won't like the large camera bump
Pure Android with a great camera
The Pixel 6 is one of the best Android phones you can get with fantastic hardware, and it works great with Visible LTE and 5G.
Best Visible phone upgrade: Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G
Samsung's Galaxy S line has shaped how we think about Android phones for years with excellent build quality, impressive design, and some of the best specs you can find. The Galaxy S20 FE brings this experience to a lower price point while giving up very little to get there. With a 6.5-inch AMOLED display capable of 120MHz refresh, the display on the S20 FE is responsive and vibrant with perfect black levels. This display is also perfectly flat, unlike the rest of the S20 line, which many people prefer.
You will need the U.S. variant of the S20 FE to work on Visible's network due to Visible's all-digital network. That also means you're ready for Verizon's nationwide 5G network included with Visible at no extra cost.
Samsung has packed in some great cameras, with a wide, ultra-wide, and telephoto camera on the back. The photos are typical of the S20 series, meaning they'll look great with deep contrast and sharpness, if not a little unnatural. Overall, the S20 FE is a fantastic package for someone looking to get a little more performance on the Visible network.
Pros:- 120Hz AMOLED 6.5-inch display
- Excellent rear cameras
- 5G supported
- Surprisingly large battery
- No headphone jack
- Expensive
Everything great about a Galaxy for less
The Galaxy S20 FE is a great way to get many flagship features like a 120Hz AMOLED display without paying flagship prices.
Best mid-range Visible phone: Samsung Galaxy A42 5G
While Verizon's 5G coverage isn't that great yet, it pays to be ready for the new network when it finally becomes. The Galaxy A42 5G is a mid-range phone in many ways, but when it comes to 5G, it's a champ. This phone supports the current nationwide and mmWave 5G networks on Verizon and the upcoming C-band coverage coming later in the year and into 2022.
The other hardware is nothing special but enough for most users. This phone is powered by a Snapdragon 750G with 4GB of RAM. The display is 6.6-inch AMOLED limited to 60Hz, which should be great for most apps. The three cameras on the back provide wide, ultra-wide, and macro options though quality will fall off in low light. All of this is powered by a massive 5,000mAh battery that will get through a whole day with plenty to spare.
Pros:- Great 5G capabilities
- Large 6.6-inch AMOLED display
- Huge 5,000 mAh battery
- Still has a 3.5mm headphone jack
- Comes with 128GB of storage
- Poor low-light camera performance
Save money without giving up 5G support
The Galaxy A42 5G is a wonderful option for Visible customers looking to get the most out of 5G now and in the next couple of years.
Best Visible phone battery life: Moto G Power
The Moto G Power isn't about perfect performance or great cameras. It's about making the most of its massive 5,000mAh battery for someone that needs a phone with enough power for basic apps that needs to confidently last all day for three days. Its 48MP primary camera can take some solid shots in the proper lighting though it will leave you underwhelmed much of the time.
It's a cheap phone and performs like one, but it will work well enough for many people and can be a good fit for someone who needs a long-lasting phone on an unlimited network. Also, if you need to keep a second phone around for business, this makes a solid companion to another great Android phone.
Pros:- Three days of battery on one charge
- Modern design
- Large display
- Expandable storage
- Mediocre cameras
- Low-res LCD
- Motorola has a lousy track record for updates
- No 5G
The battery champ
The Moto G Power is a cheap phone with a huge battery that can last days with enough power for basic apps and usage.
Best cheap Visible phone: Samsung Galaxy A12
Cheap Samsung phones are in a league of their own, thanks to Samsung's vast hardware and software experience. The Samsung Galaxy A12 is powered by the MediaTek MT6765 octa-core CPU with four performance and four low-power cores. This CPU paired with 3GB of RAM allows this phone to power through most apps though you should be realistic about what you get for the price. There will be stutters.
This phone has a 6.5-inch display that runs to the very edge of the phone with a small notch for the front camera. The low 1600x720 resolution is typical of phones at this price. Despite packing a 5,000mAh battery, this phone is pretty compact, making it a great choice for a work phone. The four-camera array on the back won't blow you away, but it should perform adequately with enough light with a wide, ultrawide, and macro lens.
Pros:- Very cheap
- Large 5,000 mAh battery
- Edge-to-edge display
- 15W fast charging
- Slow performance
- Low-resolution display
- No 5G
Unlimited Verizon LTE for less
The Galaxy A12 is a cheap phone with a large battery, display, and a modern look, complete with a notch and four rear cameras.
Best premium Visible phone: Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G
The Samsung Galaxy S21 is a great phone that shares a spec sheet with the S21+ save for a larger 6.7-inch display and 4800mAh battery. This upgrade won't be worth it to everyone, but if you plan on consuming a lot of media on your unlimited Visible plan, the extra screen real estate is great. Battery life isn't anything special but should get you through the day with normal usage.
Sharing a spec sheet with the S21 is far from bad with a fast Snapdragon 888 and 8GB of RAM. This phone comes with 128GB of storage or 256GB, but there is no expansion option. In addition, 5G support is included for both sub-6 and mmWave on Verizon's network. The camera performance is stellar, with the three cameras on the back producing some of the best shots on a phone. With the screen reaching the phone's edge on all sides and a small hole-punch front camera, the S21+ makes the most of its size for a tremendous 120Hz display.
Pros:- Massive 6.7-inch display with 120Hz refresh rate
- Excellent build quality
- Blazing-fast performance
- Very capable rear cameras
- Too big for some people
- Doesn't have a headphone jack
Great hardware with frequent software updates
Samsung's Galaxy S21+ is the bigger brother to the S21 with a larger 6.7-inch display and a larger 4800mAh battery.
Bottom lineOne of Visible's most significant weaknesses is its Android support, especially for more niche models. Still, Visible has been improving Android support, and it now supports many of the best Android phones you can get. Unfortunately, support for 5G phones is still limited, missing some important devices like the Google Pixel 5a. Still, a growing number of phones support the full network with new options available all the time.
The Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro both come with 5G support out of the box. The Google Pixel 6 is one of the best phones you can use with Visible, thanks to great support for LTE and 5G. The Pixel 6 is even ready for the upcoming C-band 5G, so you can get the speed upgrade when it's ready. But, for the time being, you get a great camera experience on a clean build of Android, embracing Google's newest designs.
Credits - The team that worked on this guide
Samuel Contreras When Samuel is not writing about networking and carriers, he spends most of his time researching computer components and obsessing over what CPU goes into the ultimate Windows 98 computer. It's the Pentium 3.