Choosing where to buy a new iPhone isn’t as simple as it might seem. Third-party stores or carriers might give you a better monetary deal than buying an iPhone from the Apple Store, but you’re also going to have to deal with yearly contracts, bill credits, or the hassle of unlocking the device if you switch networks.
But all the details aside, T-Mobile is hoping that its latest offering can make the decision much simpler. As of right now, if you buy an iPhone on T-Mobile and opt for extra device insurance, you’ll also get AppleCare included in the price.
The AppleCare isn’t free with all new iPhones from T-Mobile, but rather it’s an additional service you get with T-Mobile’s Premium Device Protection. That’s just an insurance program that T-Mobile offers on devices. It runs $12 per month, and offers theft and loss protection on your phone. It’s a good option if you’re prone to losing your device altogether, but the deductibles are high, and it doesn’t offer much help with common problems like a cracked screen or water damage (thanks to those high deductibles).
So T-Mobile’s new offering bundles the normal insurance, offered by Assurant, with the Apple-provided AppleCare that you know and love. Assurant keeps covering theft and loss, while AppleCare gets you different benefits like live support, cheap screens, and battery repairs. The AppleCare deal only applies to newly-purchased iPhones, not existing contracts.
For anyone who was thinking about buying a phone protected by T-Mobile’s insurance, this is obviously good news. You’re getting more coverage for the same amount of money, and knowing it’s Apple-provided coverage means you’re not going to have to spend weeks arguing with a weird third-party insurance company.
