Insurance plans offered by carriers are, by and large, a waste of money. Generally, you end up paying too much for a plan that still has a high deductible, and which will leave you waiting weeks just to have your phone replaced with a banged-up refurbished model.
Now, I’d still say that you should take any insurance plan with a grain of salt, and take the time to wade through the small print for yourself, but Verizon’s new insurance plan seems like it might be worth it.
Verizon has revamped its mobile insurance offering, called Total Mobile Protection. It costs $11 a month, and in most instances is really a standard insurance policy against theft, loss, and accidental damage. Coverage is provided by Asurion, the biggest name in mobile device insurance, so from that perspective, it’s a standard insurance policy.
There’s two things that make it stand out: cracked screen coverage and extended warranty. For $29 per occurrence, you get a same-day replacement screen if you accidentally break your screen. Replacement screens can be installed by a repair store, or by a technician visiting you at home or at work in most big cities. The price is the same as what Apple charges for screen repair, only you get far more opportunities to break your screen, and you don’t have a multi-day-wait for a Genius Bar appointment.
The extended device warranty is also a good option for anyone planning on keeping their phone for a while. It includes coverage of any manufacturer defects that might be out of warranty, like liquid damage, or a problem with the phone itself after the standard one-year Apple warranty is up.
