The smartphone has become a staple in the lifestyle of many. Capable of a multitude of uses: Email, social media, online shopping, oh... and making calls. (People still do that... right?!)
It's not a secret though, that these devices are EXPENSIVE. Trying to purchase one out of contract? Be prepared for sticker shock, as some smartphones cost in excess of $700.
This brings us to why I'm here: What does it cost to protect your phone?
Cellular Insurance Plans
Most cellular providers offer insurance for smartphones, but these plans come with some strings attached you need to take into consideration.
- Monthly cost: between $7-$10 per month, per device
- Deductible: For most of the newer devices your deductible can be up to $199 per year.
- Limit on repairs: Maximum of 2 per year for several of the providers I researched.
Say you own your phone for one year, and you drop it and need to send it in for repair... You will pay about $300 total on your insurance and deductible (~$100 per year for the insurance + $199 deductible)!
Applecare+
Another option for the iPhone crowd, Applecare+ costs $99.00 to extend your 1-year manufacture warranty and also covers damage. With this plan you are still required to pay a $79 service fee if your send your phone in for repair, with a limit of 2 repairs per year.
Out of Warranty Replacement
Apple offers it's own replacement service for iPhones you may be surprised at the cost. Replacing a damaged screen on your iPhone 5S will cost you around $269 plus tax and shipping costs.
There are many third-party repair services out there that can fix your device, but you need to be careful where you take it. Many of the services are a "Mail-in" type, and you really have no idea where your personal information is being sent to, or who is working on it.
Still, with these services, you can expect to pay between $100-$150 to replace major components (like the screen).
So what can you do to offset these costs?
By far the most cost effective way is to simply avoid the problem with a quality phone protector. Even investing in some of the most expensive cases will save you a world of heartache (and walletache) if the unimaginable happens.
There are MANY different cases on the market, but you should look for something to provide protection from the common problems: Dropping the phone, and/or water damage.
LifeProof offers one of the best cases on the market for the iPhone and Galaxy S series of phones. Not only does this protect from shock damage, but also water and dust.
Even at $79.99, the cost of this case is much less then a single repair or replacement with ANY of the options I mentioned. As a bonus, your phone remains in pristine condition if you leave it in a case like this all the time. This means when you want to upgrade devices, yours can be worth a pretty penny in resale.
You don't need to spend quite so much for a little peace of mind, however, there are many more affordable options out there. Any protection you give these valuable devices will be worth it in the end!
Thanks for reading!
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