Your New iPhone 5S: Apple Warranty, AppleCare+ and iPhone Insurance compared

If you are treating yourself to a brand new iPhone 5s, or an iPhone 5c, then you will want to make sure that you are taking the correct steps to protect it. You may be aware of the Apple standard warranties and the options available to extend this, as well as the iPhone Insurance options available to you, but deciding which one or which combination of these is right for you will be a personal choice.

While it is a great idea to invest in iPhone 5s Insurance and or extended warranty you should always consider and compare prices, and take into account all the benefits, exclusions and additional costs. There are a number of options available to you depending on the type of cover you need. Below is an overview of the options available so that you can make an informed decision and make sure you have the appropriate level of cover for your iPhone 5s.

Why get protected?

The iPhone 5 s is an expensive piece of tech and there are unfortunately a number of things that can go wrong. Spending a huge chunk of money on a new iPhone, simply to damage it accidently or have it stolen can be devastating. Apple’s standard warranty will not cover you in these eventualities and therefore you will need to invest in some additional cover if you want to be protected.

Buying your iPhone on contract may not feel as much of a financial commitment as buying it outright, but if it were to get lost or stolen at some point within the duration of your 24 month contract a replacement could set you back up to £709 for higher capacity models. If at this stage you are wondering whether to simply take the risk and go without iPhone Insurance or extended warranty then ask yourself if you could afford this upfront cost if something happened to your new iPhone or if you could manage the inconvenience of using a cheaper replacement handset while still paying for your monthly contract?

Cover options available to you

iPhone Warranty

The iPhone 5s comes with a one year Apple warranty that covers defects such as battery issues or home button failures. It is reassuring to know that you are protected in these instances but it does not in any way cover you for iPhone theft, iPhone loss or liquid damage. Accidental damage is also not covered as standard, so if you find you damage your iPhone yourself then you will be liable for the cost of replacement.

AppleCare+

AppleCare+ is an extended warranty option from Apple available for £79 for a 24 month duration.  Apple Care + not only extends the duration of your iPhone warranty for an additional year, but also provides cover for up to two accidental damage claims  throughout the 24 month duration which will be processed at an excess cost of £55 per claim.

AppleCare+ is one of the most popular iPhone 5s warranty options because it is available direct from Apple. You will get access to support from the Apple team which is reassuring when minor things go wrong.

For example, if your iPhone were to suffer from water damage or a broken screen then you will be able to take the device to an Apple store and have the handset replaced exchange for the £55 excess fee.

Things to take into account

You must buy AppleCare+ within 30 days of buying the iPhone 5s and it will need to be inspected at an Apple Store prior to purchasing AppleCare+ so there is not much time to consider whether this option is right for you.

The main thing to take into account with AppleCare+ however is that it will not cover a lost or stolen iPhone. Each year, more than 700,000 mobile phones are lost or stolen in Britain, according to O2. With this in mind, ask yourself if it is really worth taking the risk and not being covered for loss or theft. You will also need to be able to supply the broken iPhone and iPhone 5s when claiming on your AppleCare+ policy, meaning that if your iPhone is damaged and you cannot recover it then you will not be covered. Say for example you drop your iPhone down a steep stair well or into deep water and you are unable to reach it then you will not be covered by AppleCare+

iPhone 5s Insurance

If you are worried about theft and loss, then investing in iPhone Insurance may be the best thing for you. Taking out iPhone Insurance means that under all reasonable circumstances you will be covered not only against mechanical breakdown, liquid damage and accidental damage but also theft with an excess of £50 to be paid when claiming. You can add loss as an additional extra to make sure you are covered in all eventualities. If your phone is lost or stolen, without the correct cover you will also be liable for any unauthorised calls, and this can cause huge financial implications. iPhone Insurance policies from Gadget Insurers like Protect your bubble will protect you against unauthorised calls as standard which is another reason why this may be a better option.

Things to take into account

iPhone 5s Insurance options will often cost more than extended warranty as they cover more. With most insurance providers like Protect your bubble however there is the option to pay monthly so that you can spread the cost. Protect Your Bubble offer iPhone 5s Insurance for £5.99 per month (£7.49 per month with loss) If you are purchasing your iPhone 5S through network provider then you will most likely be offered Insurance on your handset. O2 for example, offer iPhone Insurance for £12.50 per month with an excess of £60 (although this doubles if you make a second claim) but it is a good idea to shop around as Independent Gadget Insurers such as Protect Your Bubble tend to offer more competitive rates of cover. You can also benefit from a multi gadget discount if you choose to insure through Protect your bubble, so if you have more than one gadget to insure you can save up to 15% on the total price of your policy.

Make sure that you read the terms and conditions to make sure that the cover is right for you. For example, Protect your bubble only covers phones which are under 12 months old, so you won’t be able to insure an old mobile phone.

Which Should you buy?

 Choosing between an iPhone 5s insurance offer and an iPhone 5s warranty is a personal choice, but the main thing to consider is how much you have the need for loss and theft cover. If you are particularly careless or nervous, or put yourself at risk (i.e use public transport daily) then investing in cover for these two things could prove to be invaluable. You may not notice £7.49 per month coming out of your account, but you are probably far more likely to miss £600 if you need to get a replacement iPhone. Even if you are careful then accidents can happen and you may get unlucky, so don’t take any chances and end up regretting it at a later date.