There are a lot of fun things you can do with your iPhone, but losing one without an insurance plan tends to have the opposite effect. That’s how iPhone users on AT&T’s network have been rolling ever since the original Apple phone debuted in 2007. Now in it’s third iteration – with the fourth-generation iPhone HD / 4G expected to debut at WWDC – the AT&T iPhone is still without any sort of accidental damage, loss, or theft insurance. But, that may soon change. We’re hearing that AT&T may indeed be readying a new insurance plan that costs a veritable arm and a leg in exchange for some seriously comprehensive protection for the Apple smartphone.
According to leaked internal documents, AT&T apparently has some sort of “‘MobileProtect” insurance plan in the works for its iPhone fleet. The insurance plan is supposed to insure against theft, loss, accidental damage (including liquid damage!) and any hardware failures that fall outside Apple’s factory warranty program. We’re also told it’s almost unreasonably priced. At $13.99 per month, the iPhone insurance plan will have US subscribers forking over an additional $168 per year to AT&T. And, that’s before the deductible that will cost between $99 for an 8GB 3G to $199 for a 32GB 3GS.
While the bumper-to-bumper coverage on the iPhone may seem attractive at first, the high cost of admission. could be a downer. After one year with a 3GS, you’re going to have to pay $200 in addition to the $168 you already paid in monthly premiums. That adds up to $386 to replace a year-old 3GS – and will likely cost more for an iPhone HD. That’s a hefty price to pay to replace a mobile phone. But, to be fair, a new 3GS would cost you $700 outright.
Either way, the MoibleProtect insurance plan will go live on June 6th, just one day before Apple unveils the next version of its iconic smartphone at WWDC. The plan must be purchased within 30 days of a handset purchase and will be billed to a credit card on a recurring monthly basis – so you either get protection from the get-go, or you take your chances in the wild.
[Via: MacRumors]