What is Android Phone Insurance?

An android phone insurance protects the buyer from unexpected expenses arising from accidents or malfunctions involving the device. Coverage typically depends on the insurance plan and the insurer's coverage limits. So, you must choose one that best fits your needs and budget. Generally, most insurance policies cover loss and damage to the device, but some policies extend coverage to your phone accessories too. Granted, these benefits are available for an annual or monthly fee. But why would anyone pay for phone insurance? 

What insurance is available for android phones?

People's increased reliance on smartphones for communication and work has created the need to protect this valuable device. There are two kinds of insurance available for android phones, viz-a-viz mobile carrier insurance, and third-party insurance. 

Mobile carrier insurance is available for people who have agreed only to use a carrier-branded phone. It will cover you up to what you would purchase or pay for your phone. However, it can be pricey. 

Third-party insurance is flexible, and customers typically pay less for insuring their phone with a phone insurance company.

1. Mobile Carrier Insurance

These are the major phone carriers in the United States and the various insurances plans they offer: 

AT&T insurance plans for Android

• The AT&T Insurance Protection Plan offers basic coverage for loss, theft, or damage. This plan also protects against loss of use of mobile equipment due to natural disasters or power outages.
• The AT&T Insurance Protection Plus Plan offers basic coverage for loss, theft, or damage and protection against loss of use of mobile equipment due to events such as natural disasters or power outages. This additional coverage also includes protection for the cost to repair or replace customer-owned equipment due to accidents from handling (ADH) and vandalism/theft. AT&T has a few plans: $8.34 for basic coverage, $10.99 for advanced, and $16.99 for complete coverage.
• Mobile Equipment Protection combines the AT&T Insurance Protection Plan and the AT&T Insurance Protection Plus Plan. It covers lost, stolen, or damaged mobile equipment for specified periods and covers the cost to repair or replace customer-owned equipment due to accidents from handling (ADH) and vandalism/theft. This plan is $6.99 on both the AT&T website and Amazon.
• Mobile Equipment Protection Plus combines the Mobile Equipment Protection and the AT&T Insurance Protection Plus Plan. It covers lost, stolen, or damaged mobile equipment for specified periods and covers the cost to repair or replace customer-owned equipment due to accidents from handling (ADH) and vandalism/theft. This plan is $8.34 on both the AT&T website and Amazon.
• AT&T's Employee Discount Plan offers basic coverage for loss, theft, or damage. This plan also covers employees who need to use their mobile equipment while traveling on company business. This plan has a $2 monthly subscription and is available through AT&T and Amazon.

T-Mobile insurance plan for android 

• T-Mobile One Insurance: Basic plan offers protection for loss and theft, screen cracks, water damage, and accidental drops.
• T-Mobile One Plus Insurance: Covers the items covered in the Basic plan plus other more expensive items such as lost or stolen tablets.
• T-Mobile One Plus Unlimited Insurance: Covers most damage to smartphones, tablets, and cameras.

US Cellular insurance plan for android 

There are up to five different plans that US Cellular offers on their Mobile Insurance. They are:

• Accidental damage (will pay for the replacement or repair cost of your phone in the event it is damaged by liquid, sand, or dirt)
• Mobile Protection Pack: $13.99 per month, includes Accidental Damage, Device Protection, and MobileTracker®.
• Mobile Protection Pack Plus: $15.99 per month, includes Accidental Damage, Device Protection, and MobileTracker®, includes US Cellular's SIMPLE (Simple Pricing: one $10 charge per month for unlimited talk, text, and data).
• Premium Protection Pack: $14.99 per month, only for phones with more than 100% battery life remaining when damaged. Costs are the same as Mobile Protection Pack + but apply to all your phones (phones are deducted from the 100% reserve of their battery life).
• Premium Protection Pack + Plus – $15.99 per month, only for phones with more than 100% battery life remaining when damaged. Costs are the same as Mobile Protection Pack + but apply to all your phones (phones are deducted from the 100% reserve of their battery life).

Verizon Wireless insurance plan for android 

Verizon wireless plan includes;

• Total Mobile Protection: $12.99 per month; includes phone protection, extended warranty, and coverage for up to 2 incidents of accidental damage or theft.
• Mobile Insurance: $5 per month; covers for up to 2 incidents of accidental damage or theft each year.
• Mobile Wallet Protection: Free; covers for up to 2 incidents of loss, theft, or unauthorized charges if the smartphone is equipped with a wallet app like Apple Pay that stores its credit card information.

2. Third-Party Insurance For Android

Samsung Care Plus

Samsung Care Plus is an insurance plan tailored to your needs. Samsung Care Plus offers the best protection with no deductible for screen breakage or device malfunction. This insurance plan also includes accidental physical damage and theft with a $200 deductible. The Samsung Care Plus plan costs $29.99. It's always on and is available for all new Samsung smartphones and Galaxy smartphones, as well as select tablets, wearables, cameras, smartwatches, mobile accessories, and other connected devices. Samsung Care Plus covers your device if it's damaged by accident or covered by insurance. 

StayMobile Phone Insurance

Staymobile offers a $10 a month plan for people who only need to ensure one or two of their devices. If you have more than two phones, you'll need to use the $20 a month plan. Staymobile also offers a 10% discount on all new phone and device purchases. This means that if you buy an iPhone7 at Best Buy, Staymobile will remove 10% from the phone price. Best Buy will also eliminate the activation fee.

Staymobile's accident protection plan includes a screen protector and case coverage, which will protect you against a stolen or damaged phone by accident. Accident protection is the best way to ensure your mobile device. Staymobile also offers a monthly gadget insurance plan covering damage from drops, spills, and other accidents - including cracked screens. You can add this protective layer to any new or existing Staymobile plan for $5 per month.

SquareTrade Phone Insurance

Square Trade offers a variety of plans for different Android phones. Each plan has benefits and drawbacks. For example, the Standard Plan will have no deductibles but requires replacing your phone if lost or stolen. The Extended Protection Plan offers a deductible depending on the phone model but will cover accidental water damage. The Basic Plan is just that - basic with no discounts or extras for data loss protection or deductibles in case something terrible happens to your phone.

The Standard Plan offers a $1,000 deductible for up to two insured devices per year and $2,500 max over your insurance term. This plan has no deductibles or additional premiums for data loss protection.

The Extended Protection Plan allows you to replace your device twice per year for accidental damage of up to $350 without deductibles on top of the plan you choose.

Geek Squad

Geek Squad offers its insurance for handsets with either an iPhone or Android operating system. The plan provides coverage for device repairs and replacement, as well as phone accessories. The plan is suitable for phones that are under warranty or if you have purchased an extended warranty.

The price will depend on what phone you are purchasing. If you buy a new handset (or even an upgraded one) from Geek Squad, the basic plan is $199 and includes protection for two years. If you want to purchase an insurance plan for a phone that has already been purchased, the price is $299, covering two years of coverage.

Geek Squad insurance usually covers the cost of lost or damaged handsets or accessories as well.

How to Choose the Best Android Insurance Plans

With various manufacturers and innumerable models per manufacturer with unique features, a person might get confused about which one they should buy, especially if they have never purchased a smartphone before. If your Android phone is worth a fortune, it is recommended that you try investing in some insurance plan for your device. Unfortunately, the insurance plans available can be confusing, and insurance companies have developed many different policies over the years. 

However, before you decide on the policy that is best for your android phone, you should consider the following:

• Consider the terms of the policy
• Renewability
• Maximum age for the initial issue and policy expiration date
• Depreciation rates for new equipment and used equipment
• Minimum annual payment schedule and maximum single payment permitted
• Check the features you need
• Find a highly rated company
• Check out online reviews
• Compare prices for similar policies
• Buy from a reputable company that offers customer service and safety guarantee."

Protecting your Android phone with an insurance policy is crucial in case of accidental damages or other events that may result in loss of data, theft, or loss of the device itself. Whether it is carrier insurance or third-party insurance, you are better off buying a plan that has your kind of coverage.

Reasons to Buy Insurance For Your Android Phone.

There are several reasons for protecting your android phone. The foremost of these include: 

Peace of mind

You want your phone to be lifelong valuable as well as durable. However, there is no guarantee that you can afford a new phone if you lose or damage the old one. Phone insurance gives you this peace of mind. 

Minimize costs

Insurance minimizes the cost of fixing your phone. Therefore, please do all you can to keep your private information safe and secure from people who might want it. Protection is essential for any device that is used often and has files on it.

Quick replacement

Phones are more commonly lost or stolen than notebooks since they are small, expensive, and easy to steal. Since many phones today have in-built finding features, you can easily render the phone useless to the thief. However, the odds are you won't find your android phone again. So, you will need a new one. Insurance can cover all or most of the associated costs. 

Does a phone insurance plan provide 100% protection for your android?

Android insurance does not provide 100% protection for your device. Even the best insurance policies do not offer to replace your former phone, especially if it was stolen.

Furthermore, if you do not pay your insurance claim in time or take the total amount of the claim, it will leave you with a useless device. Then there is also the question of coverage that comes with every plan. The risk coverage may help you in some cases, but it is fragile. 

What Most Android Insurance Plans Do Not Cover

The following are some of the things your android phone is not protected:

Carelessness

You will not be covered for any damage proved to have been committed by you intentionally. Also, if you're prone to dropping your phone in the toilet or leaving it in pants before laundry, be sure your insurance covers water damage—some policies don't. You might discover that you aren't protected because you didn't exercise "reasonable care."

Lateness in reporting your stolen or lost phone

Some insurers will not compensate you if you do not report it missing immediately, or if you wait for 12 hours, sometimes, 24hours before reporting it missing,

No SIM card or not the original SIM card

Whether you've switched providers and installed a new SIM card, or you're temporarily using a different device – you might not be covered as long as the original sim is not in the phone.

You might not get a replacement phone.

If your phone is broken or damaged, some insurers will attempt to repair it or offer you a refurbished phone rather than replacing it. If this is the case, you should expect to be without a phone while it is repaired, and it may take a while. 

If you cannot afford to get android phone insurance

The following tips below can help you keep your android phone safe:

• Lock the android phone with a password or fingerprint. This will prevent anyone from simply accessing it without a plan or using other methods like sending an SMS.
• Keep the android phone updated. Updates are made to patch security issues that hackers use to get into your android phone.
• Use two-factor authentication. This will prevent unauthorized access to your android phone if your password or fingerprints are compromised. This feature could help you when someone is trying to hack into your account.
• Back up your android phone regularly, just in case. This is extremely important if you want to recover all your information if something happens to the phone or gets lost or stolen.
• Keep the suitable antivirus on your android phone at all times.
• Keep your android phone secure whenever you are away from it. One method that tablet owners can use is to use a password lock on the screen so if the phone is stolen, it will lock and not allow access to it unless the person knows the password. This will prevent anyone, including hackers, from accessing your information on your android phone.

Bottom Line

Many Android insurance policies are available from insurance companies and third-party providers. They offer protection against theft, fire, water damage, malfunction, and even accidents. By purchasing a policy like this, you will have peace of mind knowing your device is well protected if anything were to happen to it. Nevertheless, it is recommended that you make conscious efforts to protect your android phones, such as keeping your device away from unnecessary risks that may eventually lead to damage or loss.