The world is a dangerous place, and even more so for those precious gadgets we carry with us everywhere we go. How many different hard surfaces do we pass in a day? How many chances do we have of losing precious hardware in a random body of water? Yes, I’m talking about breaking one’s mobile phone. Some people want to look for protection because, as they say, they’re all fingers and thumbs. But, let’s be honest, accidents happen to everyone. This is why many companies and providers offer device protection plans for the phone you’re probably using to read this article. Which one is the right one for you, you ask? This is what we’ll explore in this article by comparing various plans available to mobile phone users in Canada.
Cell Phone Protection Plans & What’s Included
The following cell phone protection plans are some of the finest options on the market. If you’re looking for an additional safety net, you may want to consider one of these plans.
AppleCare+
As you can imagine, this one only works with Apple devices. Some carriers will apply Apple’s monthly prices, which vary from device to device, and others will charge an average price for all devices. It’s safe to assume the monthly fee will be somewhere between $7 per month to $14 per month. You can also choose to pay a one-time fee directly with Apple, in which case you’ll have to dish out from $65 to $249, once again, depending on the price of the device you’re protecting.
Once you pay this fee, you’re protected for damage to your phone for up to 2 service events. Keep in mind that your payment strictly includes access to the replacement service. You’ll have to pay a fee any time you need to have your phone repaired or replaced, think of it as a deductible on an insurance policy. In Apple’s case, it will cost you $39 for a screen replacement and $129 for any other component repair on your iPhone and $49 for service on any iPad.
Lastly, repairs are handled at the Apple store, so you’ll simply have to book a convenient appointment and head to the genius bar at the pre-scheduled time. You can also choose the mail-in service, which will be at Apple’s expense, but doing so could keep you without a phone for a few weeks.
Carrier Device Protection
Any carrier in Canada now offers their own protection plan. Carrier device protection is available for all devices offered by the carriers. Note that these services act somewhat like an insurance policy and are normally handled by a third party contracted by the carrier. We’ll write another article in the future to compare all carrier plans but for the moment, we’ll highlight the most important bits to help you choose between this one or other available plans. The cost of these plans ranges from $9 to $15 per month, which gets added to your monthly cell phone bill.
For carrier protection plans, the service fees will range from $25 to $500 depending on the carrier, type of phone and type of repairs. Note that services will vary from province to province due to legislations on insurance policies. For example, protection for lost or stolen phones may be offered in some provinces but not in others.
With this service, most repairs and replacements can be done by mail or in store (if available in your location). That being said, you’ll have to read the fine print to determine which is easier for you with your specific carrier.
Bounce
Bounce is a new service available to Canadian consumers. The service may be new, but they know what they’re doing, they operate under the umbrella of C Walker Inc, which is a Canadian insurance business with 50+ years in the business. Their service is for screen repairs only, so if you have a tendency to jump in a pool with your phone in your pocket, this is not for you. That said, if you normally only break your screens, their service comes at a competitive one-time yearly price ranging from $39 to $89 depending on the protection you want.
The good side of their service is that, once you’ve paid the upfront fee, you’re protected and won’t have to pay a deductible. They really work like an insurance company (because they are one), so you choose the protection you want. Their plans will cover from $150 to $500 on repairs twice during the yearly period you’ve paid for.
It is important to note that this insurance doesn’t only apply to new phones. With Bounce, you can insure an old phone – contrary to other insurance plans.
How do you get it repaired? This is the best part of their service, you simply have to go to the repair location of your choice, pay up front, and then send the bill to bounce. They will in turn reimburse you within 24 hours of receiving the repair bill.
It is also indicated on their website that they are looking into adding additional protection for a premium, so we’ll stay tuned for more information on this.
Credit Card Protection plans
This is a fairly new feature with credit cards, but many premium credit cards now offer mobile device insurance. This is offered at no additional cost with credit cards (you should call your provider to know more about this) and cover up to $1000 for loss or damages on phones.
This costs nothing up front but you might have to pay a deductible of $75 to $100 depending on the phone. The catch is that your phone has to have been purchased using said credit card to be covered and the phone needs to be new. No used phones will be covered. There are a few more details to those so I strongly suggest that you contact your bank or credit card provider to get the specifics or make sure you have the coverage.
Another good side of this is that you’ll be able to get your phone replaced or repaired at the location of your choice, but make sure you talk to your card provider to know how to go about getting the refund.
Comparing the phone protection services
| AppleCare+ | Carrier device protection | Bounce | Credit card protection | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | $7-$14/month or one time $65-$249 | $9-$15/month | $39- $89 one-time | $0 |
| Service fee/deductible | Screen: $39 Other damage: $129 iPad: $49 | $25-$500 | $0 | $75-$100 |
| Screen repair | x | x | x | x |
| Other damage | x | x | x | |
| Loss or theft | Sometimes | x | ||
| Mail in | x | x | ||
| Repair locations | x | x | location of your choice | location of your choice |
Help is Available
Whether you’ve lived through breaking your phone before or just want to stay on the safe side, there are options available for you if peace of mind is important for you. The difficult part is always choosing the best one for you, but know that whichever way you decide to go, you will be protected.
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