21 September 2015

AppleCare+ versus iPhone insurance. We compare.

How does AppleCare+ weigh up against other iPhone insurance?

The introduction of any new Apple product is always very exciting and many people are looking forward to owning the new Apple iPhone 6s which is launched on Friday 25th September.

If you are purchasing one, you will also be offered the opportunity to purchase AppleCare+ insurance. But is it really worth the £109 it will cost you?

With any insurance you want it to cover you for the most likely scenario and losing it comes high up on that list of possibilities. Yet AppleCare+ does not cover you for either loss or theft. It does offer Technical support cover. However, given that Apple provides a comprehensive one year warranty for all new iPhones and the Genius bar service in their stores is available to all, some may not feel they need to pay for this additional cover.

The Hardware cover from AppleCare+ is for accidental damage but provides much the same cover as other insurers. Many of the policies will replace your iPhone after accidental damage if it is not possible to repair it.

If you are likely to take your iPhone 6s on holiday (and with its improved camera who wouldn't!) the option of overseas cover could be invaluable. Travelling can also increase the chances of theft.

The table below shows how AppleCare+ compares with iPhone cover with other companies for the iPhone6. In some policies cover (such as for loss and overseas) is optional. The price includes these additional options.

Company	Product	Excess	Accidental Damage	Breakdown	Loss	Theft	Cover abroad	Cost of Annual Policy	More Info
	AppleCare+	£55						£109*
	*The cost is for an up to two year policy. It includes Technical Support cover. Both the Hardware coverage and the Technical Support coverage end 24 months from the date you purchased the iphone (not from the date you purchased AppleCare+). Maximum of 2 claims for accidental damage.
	iPhone insurance full cover	£50 or £75 for loss						£69.99
	Includes up to 90 days overseas cover. Also includes up to £1000 unauthorised calls, messages and downloads.
	Gadget insurance	£50 or £75 for loss						£89.88*
	Includes up to £10,000 cover for unauthorised calls, texts or data. Overseas cover is for the whole year Limited to two claims for loss or theft but allows unlimited claims for damage or breakdown.

NB These prices were correct at time of writing.

It is worth bearing in mind that most of the gadget insurance policies have a maximum age limit for the iPhone. Some as low as 6 months. This means that if you wait until the warranty runs out for your iPhone, you may not be able to get the cover you want.

Some policies have a minimum age limit for the purchaser. If the owner of the phone is a child, the insurance will have to be taken out in a parent or guardian's name. There are also options for cover which mean that anyone in the immediate family is covered for the same iPhone.

Beware that most companies will not insure your iPhone if it was bought abroad, through an online auction site such as Ebay or secondhand.

Lastly although accidental damage is covered with all the above policies, they do expect you to have taken good care of your phone. In the case of theft, you may not be able to claim if it was felt you hadn't taken reasonable precautions to ensure the safety of the iPhone.