(Credit: Visible)
Mobile provider Visible is looking to lock in new customers with two new plans that allow subscribers to save a few bucks by paying for a year of service upfront.
First is the Visible annual plan, which costs $275 and comes with mobile hotspot support with speeds up to 5Mbps; unlimited data; unlimited talk and text in the US; and unlimited talk and text to Canada and Mexico from the US. Visible says this will save you $25 per year, which doesn't seem like a lot, but a dollar is a dollar.
The $395 Visible+ annual plan includes all the same features as the regular annual plan and adds unlimited hotspot data at up to 10Mbps, plus unlimited talk, text, and 2GB of data per day while you're in Mexico and Canada. There's also smartwatch service (which currently only supports the Apple Watch), and a one-day Global Pass per month covering 140 countries. Smartwatch service is normally $10 per month and a Global Pass is regularly $10 per day. The company says this plan will save subscribers $145 per year.
There is some fine print here. Those on the pricier Visible+ plan get "unlimited premium data" on Verizon's 5G Ultra Wideband network, the carrier's fastest 5G service. (Visible is owned by Verizon.) But when Ultra Wideband isn't available, service will drop down to Verizon's 5G and 4G LTE networks, and there, you get 50GB of premium data each month. If you go over 50GB, "your data may be temporarily slower than other traffic," Visible says.
The less expensive $275 annual plan taps into Verizon's 5G and 4G LTE networks, and the fine print says "in times of traffic, your data may be temporarily slower than other traffic."
For both plans, video streams are in SD resolution, not HD or 4K.
(Credit: Visible)Visible is not the only carrier that offers annual plans. Mint Mobile, which runs on the T-Mobile network, offers four similar plans that range from $180 to $360 per year. All of Mint's plans include unlimited talk and text, as well as free calling to Canada and Mexico.
The $180 Mint annual plan includes 5GB of data a month, the $240 plan comes with 15GB, $300 gets you 20GB, and $360 gets you "unlimited" data though after 40GB, after which you may experience slower speeds. Video on Mint Mobile streams at SD quality, just like Visible.
Considering Mint's regular prices, these annual plans are not always the cheapest options. For example, Mint offers a three-month unlimited plan for $90 or $360 per year, the same cost as an unlimited annual plan. However, a six-month unlimited plan costs $210 or $420 annually, which is $60 more than the unlimited annual plan.
If you are in the market for a new wireless carrier, check out our guide to the best cheap phone plans available.