Owners of iPhones are often covered in one of two ways when they buy their devices. They could be covered by AppleCare if they buy the phone straight from an Apple Store. Or, if they selected a carrier, they might be under the warranty established in their contract. However, being covered under the carrier's policy could get pricey. But, there are new third-party options popping up, offering cheap insurance in case of a broken iPhone.
For one Houston family with six different devices, NBC affiliate KPRC found that the insurance bill from the carrier came out to a lofty $624 a year. Plus, this doesn't include the $150 deductible it would cost the family if they need to replace an iPhone, making for a whopping $774 price tag should one of the devices break or fail.
However, there are new options available that are offering cheap phone insurance. Their price is $59 per year with no deductible needed to repair or replace the iPhone if it is broken.
“We're basically cutting out that middle man and going direct to the consumer,” Securranty's Chuck Sweeney stated. “Anytime you can go direct to the consumer, the consumer benefits.”
Insurance can be an added cost consumers don't need
Despite what these third-party insurances companies offer, there could be problems that arise, such as hidden fees or expenses the customer didn't expect. This is why consumers should be wary of any offerings and instead keep their money in case they need to repair their phones.
Carriers such as AT&T and Verizon have monthly insurance plans, however, their is still the cost of replacing the phone, which is usually $200 or more. Replacing or repairing a phone through AppleCare is also fairly expensive, requiring a $99 fee upfront and additional costs of a new iPhone.
Insurance is pricey and not needed in most cases, especially by those who take extra care of their devices with cases and cleanings, or who upgrade to the the new iPhones whenever they come out.
IPhone users could also save money by just taking their device to an iPhone repair service when it is broken. The expert technicians iResQ can take care of all repairs for a fraction of the cost of replacement or insurance. Sure, some warranty providers may say that it offers peace of mind, but often such plans only take a big piece out of your wallet. Should anything ever happen to your iPhone, you're better off using iResQ's iPhone repair services than hoping that the cut-rate warranty provider will come though in the clutch.