Did you get insurance with your Galaxy S8?

Smashing your phone sucks. But insurance may not always be the answer.

There's nothing enjoyable about getting a broken phone replaced. Whether it's from a fall to the ground or a dip in the ocean, non-working phones potentially mean days without a device, an expensive trip to the repair store, and plenty of impatient waiting with no Instagram. 😪

That's why, for some, the prospect of buying insurance with a phone plan is quite attractive. Not only does such a plan cover accidental damage, but in some cases, it protects against stolen or lost devices.

With the Galaxy S8 and S8+, the most expensive phones Samsung has ever made and potentially the least repairable, we began to wonder if insurance rates were taken out more often for the company's newest devices than its older ones or other phones in general.

Phone insurance is tricky, too, because the carriers offer their own "value-added" versions, usually tacked on to the end of a monthly plan. Every carrier offers its own insurance solution now that T-Mobile is in the game, while companies like SquareTrade offer industry-wide protection for all devices.

Finally, there's Samsung Premium Care itself, which at $11.99 per month is expensive, but it extends the Galaxy S8's warranty by a year and offers in-person support and quick replacements.

JoshDunc

07-16-2017 03:58 PM

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So I am looking at using my S8+ without any case, all natural, glass in all its glory. What is the best mobile phone insurance company to use? Is it best to use my carrier or to use squaretrade? Thanks for advice!
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ded1945

07-16-2017 04:03 PM

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To me Squaretrade. Lower price ($130 for 3 years vs 13/mo) and lower deductible ($99 vs 200). One thing they don't cover is loss.
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SquareTrade seems to be a popular option for the S8 because the coverage is good and it's relatively inexpensive — though it keeps prices down by not offering loss and theft protection — but it's limited in the number of claims you can submit per year and has a maximum loss amount.

Asurion, which is used by Verizon, AT&T and Sprint for their white-label insurance products, also seems to be generous with its replacement policy and relatively reliable, if not affordable.

LineKill

05-20-2017 07:13 PM

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I will just provide you with a little bit if information and let you answer that question. I am just talking about Verizon's Total Equipment Coverage since that is who you are with. Their insurance also covers theft and loss which does make a difference. Total Equipment Coverage is $108.00 per year ($9.00 per month). The deductible is $199.00 per claim. You can file 3 claims per year. You...
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Others don't bother with traditional insurance, either; instead, they "self-insure," whereby they set aside a few dollars a month — $10 or so, which is similar to the cost of regular phone insurance — to cover any accidental damage or replacements.

Gary02468

05-19-2017 08:23 PM

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I self-insure. Each month, instead of paying an insurance premium, I set aside $10 in case I ever break a phone (hasn't happened yet). I've been doing that for seven years, so I've now saved $840 that I would otherwise have given away to an insurance company.
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What's your take on phone insurance?

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