AT&T To Sell iPhone Insurance?
Big new iPhone rumor via BGR today – looks like AT&T is about to start offering insurance for the iPhone
One of our AT&T ninjas just hit us up with some news that will excite those of you who have a chronic case of the dropsies and own an iPhone. AT&T will be launching a new insurance service starting June 6th, named MobileProtect, designed specifically for the Apple iPhone. The insurance plan, which will be run by Asurion, will carry a price tag of $13.99/month and will be available for purchase through Apple ‘s App Store. The charges will be billed to the credit card on file with Apple. The deductibles range from $99 for an 8GB 3G to $199 for a 32GB 3GS, which is pretty steep ” but not quite as steep as $699 for a new 32 GB 3GS off-contract. You must enroll in the plan within 30-days of upgrading/purchasing a new iPhone.
So the good news if this rumor proves true is that there will finally be an (easy to find) insurance plan for the iPhone. The bad news is that those prices are extremely high. Around $167 for a year’s coverage, plus the deductible cost.
I wonder whether these policies would cover loss or theft of the iPhone, and whether they’ll cover things that are outside of Apple’s warranty coverage (water damage and so on).
I know my initial thought is that SquareTrade’s offerings – which I posted about last year – look better than ever when you see numbers like those stated for this new AT&T cover – unless the AT&T plan covers a lot of things SquareTrade doesn’t.
*** Disclosure: We run an affiliate ad on our sidebar for SquareTrade. It’s there because I honestly think they offer the best ‘Covers the parts Apple Won’t’ sort of cover for the iPhone that I’ve come across anywhere.
Big deal. They may as well offer nothing. It would be about the same price to add a new line to your plan at 9.99 a month and buy the iphone at the discounted price. Have that line point to some old phone you have laying around the house. Use this new iphone to replace your broken/lost iphone on your orginal number.
Best Buy offers a zero deductible plan that covers accidental handling and wear and tear (sorry, no water submersion) for $14.99 – and has since they started selling the iPhone 3G. In any event, it's not wise to carry any sort of insurance for more than 13 months, because you'll be eligible for your early upgrade then. If you plan to pursue Nancy's plan above – remember the two year contract