Does Visible support eSIM?
Best answer: As of right now, Visible does not support eSIM. Whether you buy a phone directly through Visible or bring your own device to the network, you'll be using a traditional SIM card to connect to Visible's network.
- No eSIM here: Visible ($40/month at Visible)
- Works great on Visible: Google Pixel 3a ($400 at Amazon)
What is eSIM?
First thing's first, let's talk about what eSIM is.
For your phone to connect to a carrier's network, it needs a SIM card. Through the SIM card, you're able to make calls, send texts, and access mobile data. Most of the time, it's a small chip that's stored in a tray inside your phone that can only be accessed using a SIM tray removal tool or something like a small paperclip.
eSIM, however, is different. While its core function is the same, it's built into your phone rather than being a standalone card. The main benefit to this is that, in theory, you can hop back and forth between different carriers at any time using that one eSIM rather than needing a different physical SIM whenever you switch.
Visible does not support eSIM
When it comes to Visible, the carrier does not support eSIM at all.
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No matter if you buy a phone directly from Visible or bring over a handset that you already own, you'll need to use a physical Visible SIM card to use the service.
As to whether or not this changes in the future, we aren't sure. Visible hasn't said anything about supporting eSIM, but considering that Verizon does (the network Visible uses for its service), it is possible we could see it added at some point down the road.
The Visible SIM kit is free
If you have your own phone and want to bring it over to Visible, the company's SIM card is 100% free to get.
After making sure your phone is compatible, you'll purchase your first month of service and get the SIM card shipped to you without having to pay anything extra for it.
A great service, even without eSIM.
Even though Visible doesn't currently support eSIM, it's still one of the best low-cost carrier options on the market. For $40/month with no extra taxes or fees, you get unlimited talk, text, and data on Verizon's LTE network, along with free hotspot access and an easy-to-use mobile app.
One of the best phones that works on Visible.
Visible's Android phone support still has some room to grow, but one of the best that works with the service right now is the Google Pixel 3a. It has a simple design, solid AMOLED display, reliable performance, and incredible camera quality. For the price, you can't go wrong.
Joe Maring was a Senior Editor for Android Central between 2017 and 2021. You can reach him on Twitter at @JoeMaring1.