iPhone Insurance

Some iPhone owners are nervous about jailbreaking their devices due to Apple's no jailbreaking policy. To discourage iOS hacking Apple does not offer customer support to users who jailbreak their phones, and jailbreaking also voids Apple’s warranty. Until today jailbreakers had no way to insure their iPhones, even through third-party warranty providers. That has all changed thanks to SquareTrade. The third-party provider has expanded its coverage to jailbroken iPhones. This is great news for jailbreakers who would like to protect themselves from cracked screens and other iPhone mishaps.

SquareTrade does not cover hardware mods (e.g. filed-off serial numbers) but any software modifications are fine. SquareTrade's VP of Strategy Vince Tseng told GigaOM.com, that SquareTrade does not care what Apple users do to their software. "Our general philosophy is that if a device hasn’t been played around with on the inside we don’t have a problem with that. We are here to help the Apple community, and if they want something Apple doesn’t provide we are here for them," said Tseng.

The notion of a waterproof iPhone is laughable to anyone who's accidentally dropped their device in a pool or been stuck in a rainstorm. Apple has been clear when it comes to Apple Care claims that water damage is not covered, even going so far as to install liquid sensors in iPhones.

All this could be set to change if HzO succeeds in its efforts to get Apple to treat their devices with WaterBlock technology during the manufacturing process. HzO won this year's CES Innovations Design and Engineering Award for a nano-scale film barrier that repels water from sensitive electronics.

iPhoneFAQ.org has been advising its readers to avoid overpriced carrier insurance for independent providers for as long as iPhones have been in existence. For example AT&T's Mobile Insurance program features high deductibles and limited claims. And Verizon Wireless isn't much better. That's why it's the perfect time to take advantage of the extremely reputable Worth Avenue Group's post-holiday season promotion.

Worth Avenue Group has been one of the most trusted names in personal property insurance for almost 40 years. They are a popular choice amongst iPhone owners who enjoy paying less for better coverage. For a limited time Worth Avenue Group is offering 15% off their already affordable iPhone plans. To take advantage of this deal, just visit worthavegroup.com, choose your plan and enter the promo code 15OFF.

As savvy customers have learned that replacing a lost, stolen or broken iPhone at unsubsidized prices can run as high as $749, many customers choose to protect their investment with an iPhone insurance policy or extended warranty. In the past, we've warned our readers many times about buying overpriced iPhone insurance and extended warranty coverage from their wireless provider. The options offered by AT&T (AT&T Mobile Protect) and Verizon (Verizon Total Equipment Coverage), which are provided by a third party company named Asurion, were traditionally overpriced and offered poor value compared to independent iPhone insurance and warranty providers.

As the iPhone 4S arrives in customers hands today, we thought it was time for an update. For one thing, the information we provided previously is out of date. As independent providers such as Worth Avenue Group and SquareTrade have grown rapidly over the past few years, and as these companies have continued to receive excellent approval ratings from customers and consumer advocacy agencies such as the Better Business Bureau (BBB), the major providers have taken notice and made their coverage options more competitive. Apple has even gotten in on the game with their new AppleCare+, which adds accidental damage protection to existing AppleCare coverage.

Starting July 17 new iPhones or upgraded iPhones will be eligible for AT&T's standard mobile insurance plan.

The company replaced its previous iPhone insurance plan with the regular $4.99 monthly Mobile Insurance program which covers loss, theft, accidental damage and mechanical or electrical failure.

All model iPhones can enroll within 30 days of a new activation or upgrade after July 17.

AT&T's new plan is much cheaper than Verizon Wireless who offers a $10.99 monthly plan for iPhone devices. The Verizon deductible runs $169 for the 16GB model and $199 for the 32GB model. AT&T's non-refundable deductible is only $50 or $125 per approved claim, but only two claims are allowed every 12-months.