According to the SquareTrade Accidental Survey, conducted in August 2012, thirty percent of iPhone owners have damaged their phone in the last year. Seventeen percent have damaged their iPhone more than once. In fact, you are ten times more likely to damage your iPhone than to lose it or have it stolen. Having a warranty service could go a long way to help you if you do hurt your iPhone so the question highlighted is – which warranty service is best?

SquareTrade

SquareTrade’s warranties offer quite a decent deal, provide good coverage, and a relatively low deductible.  The cost of covering an iPhone 5 with 16 GB is $9 for 2-years. It covers everything from spills to drops, broken dock connectors, or if it just won’t power on. The only thing it doesn’t cover is loss or theft. SquareTrade lets you to take the phone to a local repair workshop, Genius bar at an Apple store, or you can send it in for fast service.

Cell Phone carrier insurance

Insurance with AT&T runs $7 per month and has a $200 deductible. Unlike SquareTrade, it covers loss and robbery. In the terms and conditions of the AT&T coverage, it mentions that cracked display is not covered if the phone remains usable.  It also states that it doesn’t cover acts of war —rebellions, revolutions, a nuclear explosion—-or earthquakes and other acts of nature.

Apple Care

Apple Care is presented by Apple and runs $49 for 2 years of coverage. If not subscribed to at the time you buy the phone, you can add Apple Care within 30 days of purchase but an Apple Genius Bar employee must verify that there is no damage prior to getting coverage. However, if you don’t live near an Apple store, this wouldn’t be a reasonable option. If the damage is a result of a manufacturers defect, there is no deductible. Nevertheless, if it is accidental damage, there is a $49 “service fee” and it covers up two incidents in a 12 month period. Apple Care goes further than insurance coverage.  It comprises technical support for software including: iPhone iOS and iCloud, connecting to wireless networks, and help with Apple apps (Mail, Maps, iTunes, Safari, Remote).

Ultimately, if you are lumbering or hard on your phone, SquareTrade is the best insurance for you.  If you are absentminded, or in a lot of situations where someone might steal your phone, pick the insurance from your cell phone carrier. If you want someone to call to help you with your software even if you never break your phone, choose Apple Care.