Iphone Insurance - How Should You Protect Your Expensive iPhone?

Unless you have been living under a rock for theThis all leaves the question - What specialist
last few months, you will have heard of theinsurer is there, that protects you and your
iPhone and all the fuss around it.iPhone with a decent level of cover AND is cost
It is a handheld device from Apple, the makers ofeffective?
the iPod and the Apple Mac computer. ItLet's look at what 'cost-effective' is:
combines a mobile phone with an easy-to-useThe iPhone is only available on the O2 network.
internet browser, and a big iPod (a music/soundYou can get an unofficial one, which has been
MP3 player). So, in one device, you can listen tounlocked, to work on other networks, but lets
your favourite songs or radio shows, talk withlook at the official picture. The costs is
your friends, and check the web for ... well,£269 for the handset, plus there is a
whatever you want to check the web for.24-month contract at either £35,
Anyone who has not yet used one is usually£45 or £55 per month.
confused or resistant to the charms of theIf you lost your iPhone after 6 months from
iPhone, saying it is all a big load of hype andgetting it, you would still be contractually obliged to
marketing, in order to sell the device.pay every month for the next 18 months. That
Anyone who has used an iPhone is usually ravingmeans 18 months multiplied by a minimum of
mad about it, how great it is, how it is the next£35 per month ... a total of £630 or
major breakthrough in telecommunications andmore - whether you got a replacement handset
gadgetry.or not.
The truth is, in the next few years we will all beSo in this instance you would need some kind of
looking back on the iPhone as a groundbreakingreplacement to justify spending the £35+
item that many other manufacturers copied. It iseach month.
far more advanced than any other phone or PDAAside from this, there is the cost of replacement
handheld device available - by a long way.itself. This is likely to be around £600,
All this super-advanced technology means onealthough you might be able to get a second hand
thing to its price: It is not cheap.or less-than-legitimate iPhone for less.
There are a few knock on effects of it beingSo any insurance that would get you a
expensive:replacement for a considerable amount less than
£600 is cost-effective. Ideally (obviously) it
1. iPhone owners will be quite careful of their newneeds to be as low cost as possible, but equally
delightobviously, there is going to be some cost involved
2. Others will covet and be jealous of your iPhonein the replacement.
- because you are the proud owner, andYou would then also want to consider what
3. Criminals will specifically target the iPhone foreventualities you want the insurance to protect
theft.you from - what level of cover do you need?
This being the case, you would imagine that thereiPhone theft might seem the most obvious
is a lot of insurance policies for iPhones available.possibility, but do you want to be protected if you
Sadly, this is not the case.simply lose it? Or if it is damaged? Do you need
There is only 1 policy that is specifically a statedcover while you are abroad? Do you need
"iPhone Insurance" (more on that later) but thereextended warranty (ie if it simply stops working
are a few other options.or malfunctions after the 12 month statutory
One option that is often touted as a way aroundmanufacturer's warrantee)?
getting specific insurance for an expensive item itYou need to think about this before you spend
adding it to your household insurance. This canany money on what you think is 'insurance' for
work, but there are 3 key drawbacks to doingyour iPhone - but actually might not be adequate
this.protection. You could be paying for only one of
these levels of cover.
1. Usually home insurance policies have a FARA quick search on Google at will show you what
higher excess than any specific insurance policy,your options are. And almost all roads lead to a
often £150 or more.company called 2u - ... Doubtless other companies
2. If you make a claim (albeit relatively small) forwill follow 2u's lead once they see the success 2u
your iPhone on your house insurance, your houseis having with the iPhone Insurance. But
insurance premium will likely be more expensivemeanwhile, it appears the best way to protect
next year. It will go through the roof.yourself is to insure it using the 2u iPhone
3. How long would you comfortably be withoutInsurance.
your phone? You might expect it to be a longAccording to the 2u webpage, it does offer cover
while for your house insurance to process a claim.for loss, theft, damage, water damage,
Household insurers have been known to takeinternational cover, fraudulent calls once stolen and
weeks to solve a claim. Most customers cannotextended warrantee, which pretty much covers
accept to wait weeks for their phone to beall the bases you might want.
replaced. Are household insurers experts atWherever you chose to get yours from, one
replacing phones? Would you go to get yourthing is clear - once you have got your iPhone and
tooth fixed in a general hospital? Probably not. Youyou start to realise what a great piece of kit it is,
would go to the expert, the specialist - theyou are probably going to want to protect it with
dentist. In the same way, it might be a wisesome kind of insurance that protects you and
move to use a specialist insurance firm to insureyour iPhone properly.
your iPhone.