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Get a new, no-contract iPhone XR for $353 after rebates

That's after switching to Visible, which offers monthly service for as low as $25.

Rick Broida Senior Editor
Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms (chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie").
Rick Broida
2 min read
apple-event-091218-iphone-xr-0476

Here's how to walk away with a new, unlocked iPhone XR for just $376.

James Martin/CNET

I'm often asked, "Which iPhone should I buy?" My answer is always the same: The iPhone XR . (And that's true even following the recent introduction of the new iPhone SE.) Big screen, great cameras, reasonable price tag. Of course, I like it even better when there's a deal to be had -- and no contract you're forced to take along with it.

For a limited time, Visible continues to offer the unlocked iPhone XR (64GB) for $576, which earns you a $200 prepaid virtual Mastercard when you switch to the carrier's unlimited plan for a minimum of two months. (More on that below.) That's $23 less than the XR costs elsewhere, and the rebate brings your net cost down to $376. But, wait, there's more.

Cash-back service Rakuten is currently offering 4% back on Visible purchases. That applies to the $576 you'll pay at checkout, meaning after 90 days you'll receive roughly $23 back. Add that to the aforementioned $200 rebate and your final effective price on the XR is right around $353.

As for Visible, which runs on Verizon's network, it offers just one plan: Unlimited everything for $40 a month. There's no contract on that, either, though you do have to port in an existing number and stay with the carrier for at least two months in order to qualify for the $200 rebate. 

Better still, Visible's Party Pay option drops the per-person rate to just $25 when you sign up with three others. Any three others; friends, family members, people you met on Zoom and so forth.

Meanwhile, if you decide after two months that you want out, you can take the XR elsewhere. But let's say you stay with Visible and pay $40 a month. After two years you'll have paid $960 for service. If you'd chosen Verizon proper instead, that carrier's $80 plan would total out to a whopping $1,920.

The one important thing to know about Visible is that customer service is strictly an electronic affair: Support is provided via app, web chat, text, tweet and so on; there's no number you can call if you need help. That's hardly a deal-breaker in my book, just something to note.

Your thoughts?

Read more: The best phones of 2020

Originally published earlier this year. Updated to reflect new sale information. Removed expired bonus deals.


Watch this: iPhone XR: It's the iPhone you should buy

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