Any word on insurance for this bad boy?

[applefreak]

I've been carrying the $5 insurance from cingular for a couple years now after learning the hard way about replacing a nice phone (fell out of my pocket and into a sewer). It let's you cover any phone from loss or theft with a $50 deductible. But I wonder how that would apply to a $600 phone like this?

If I ever drop the iPhone I may need to cash that insurance policy in. Will there be special iPhone insurance? Anyone planning on this?

 

[Platinum]

There will be no insurance offered through AT&T or Apple. If you want insurance it is best to check with your home owners insurance or your credit card company.

 

[wjp09]

Im pretty sure there will be APPLE CARE

 

[soloudinhere]

Applecare is not insurance. You can declare the iPhone on your homeowners insurance, but I don't recommend claiming it aganist it because most homeowner's policies have a deductible of at least $500 and you will pay for a enw iPhone about 10X over in increased premiums.

Your best bet is personal property insurance, such as the kind that would cover laptops. I pay $150/yr for $15,000 in coverage for all my various electronics and it also covers clothing, textbooks, etc. A $1000 policy should not cost you very much at all, and the deductible is $25 on my policy. I have always insured phones this way. it is almost always less than the $60 a year the phone company wants to charge me.

my stuff is insured through http://www.collegestudentinsurance.com/

 

[applefreak]

Hm, no insurance availability is very hard to believe. This would be the first phone with AT&T and no insurance option. It will be interesting to revisit this topic after 6pm tomorrow. I'll be asking about this specifically.

This phone is fragile and expensive like no other. I'm sure a solution will be presented for us (other than being careful).

 

[emerrill]

Hm, no insurance availability is very hard to believe. This would be the first phone with AT&T and no insurance option. It will be interesting to revisit this topic after 6pm tomorrow. I'll be asking about this specifically.

This phone is fragile and expensive like no other. I'm sure a solution will be presented for us (other than being careful).

No, every one of their expensive phones is excluded, has been for a long time:
http://supportcingular.atgnow.com/cng/resultDisplay.do?page=http://supportcingular.atgnow.com/cng/tutorials/KB65474.html&result=7&responseid=bfd397882facbefored9:35998f:11373de1a2a:bb&groupid=1&contextid=18145:1416.1529&clusterName=CingularCluster&doctype=1000&excerpt=You+can+find+information+about+wireless+phone+insurance+by+selecting+the+following+link:+Wireless+Phone+Insurance#Goto1416

The following wireless devices are ineligible for insurance coverage:

All AT&T Wireless branded phones
All GAIT phones
All PDAs
All TDMA phones
Audiovox - SMT 5600
HP - All iPAQ models
Cingular - All models
Motorola - KRZR, V3i
Nokia - 6282, 9300, E62
Palm (Treo) - All models
RIM (BlackBerry) - All models
Samsung - ZX20, Blackjack
The following wireless devices are eligible for insurance coverage:

All modem cards
Firefly
LG - CG225, CG300, CU320, CU400, CU500
Motorola - L2, L6, L7 SLVR, V190, V235, V365, V3 RAZR, V3r, V3xx
Nokia - 6030, 6061, 6102i, 6126
Pantech - All models
Samsung - C417, D407, D807, X507, ZX10
Sony Ericsson - W300i, Z520, W810i

 

[emerrill]

Applecare is not insurance. You can declare the iPhone on your homeowners insurance, but I don't recommend claiming it aganist it because most homeowner's policies have a deductible of at least $500 and you will pay for a enw iPhone about 10X over in increased premiums.

You need to talk to your insurance agent. If you just 'declare it' on your homeowners, it's only covered on your propery, and yes, it incurs the deductible and possible rate increases.

You want a personal article floater or rider tacked onto your homeowners. No deductible, and it doesn't count as a claim against your homeowners (doesn't affect premiums). For the iPhone it should run around $20-30/yr. It will cover theft, loss, accidental damage, etc.

 

[askewed]

"Finally, Think Secret sources have confirmed that Apple will offer an AppleCare for iPhone extended two-year warranty option for $69, but that the plan will not be available at launch. iPhone owners can purchase the AppleCare plan at any time provided their phone is still covered under the original one-year warranty."

http://www.thinksecret.com/news/0706freeiPhone.html

 

[emerrill]

"Finally, Think Secret sources have confirmed that Apple will offer an AppleCare for iPhone extended two-year warranty option for $69, but that the plan will not be available at launch. iPhone owners can purchase the AppleCare plan at any time provided their phone is still covered under the original one-year warranty."

http://www.thinksecret.com/news/0706freeiPhone.html

That's completely different then insurance. It only covers defects, not damage.

 

[emerrill]

Hm, no insurance availability is very hard to believe. This would be the first phone with AT&T and no insurance option. It will be interesting to revisit this topic after 6pm tomorrow. I'll be asking about this specifically.

This phone is fragile and expensive like no other. I'm sure a solution will be presented for us (other than being careful).

Also, from the AT&T iPhone FAQ:

Q. Is iPhone eligible for Wireless Phone Insurance?
A. No. iPhone is ineligible for the Wireless Phone Insurance program offered to AT&T customers. iPhone is covered by the Apple Warranty. If you have Wireless Phone Insurance from AT&T, it will be removed from your line of service.

I think it's stupid the way the keep phrasing that, it implies that the warranty covers the same things as insurance does.