The upfront—or recurring—cost of a premium warranty plan for smartphones can feel excessive. However, if you look at the larger picture, they make a lot of sense. Here are the top reasons why I recommend purchasing a premium warranty plan.
1
Your Device Will Be Covered for More Than a Year
Most smartphone manufacturers cover hardware defects in phones for 12 months under a limited warranty plan. However, problems that arise beyond this period almost always require a paid service. And with how fragile electronic devices can be, in my opinion, this one-year guarantee just isn’t enough.
Purchasing a premium warranty plan—which often provides extended coverage—means you’re guaranteed to be covered against problems like a malfunctioning motherboard, green lines on your smartphone’s display, or a significantly degraded battery at no cost or a minor service charge.
2
Guaranteed Cost-Effective Repairs Against Accidental or Water Damage
Circling back to the limited warranty that comes with your device, a big limiting factor here is that it’s restricted to manufacturing or component failures, particularly those that don’t involve physical or water damage.
So, if you have a broken screen—or back glass—or dropped your phone in a pool, you’ll have to pay a hefty sum to get it fixed. However, if you have a premium warranty plan, these damages are covered for a nominal fee.
For example, look at the repair estimates for an iPhone 16 Pro—Apple’s 2024 flagship. According to Apple, if you have an AppleCare+ plan—which costs $10 a month or a lump sum of $199 for two years of cover (from the time of purchase)—a screen replacement will only cost $29. Otherwise, it’ll cost you $329. That’s $300 more, almost a third of the phone’s cost for just fixing a broken screen.
It only gets worse if there’s water damage. In this case, the standard repair fee is $649, but only $99 with an AppleCare+ plan. Google and Samsung also offer premium warranty plans, and their pricing is similar to Apple’s for the most part.
3
Priority Access to Support Teams
Calls with support teams are a significant part of the repair experience, and premium warranty plans often come in handy here, too. In the age of automated responses (or IVRs), you can get through to a person on the other side of the line or a more experienced representative who can respond to your queries quickly.
I have an AppleCare+ plan, and when I wanted to get my iPad Pro with a failed Face ID module replaced, I was directly put in touch with a senior escalation team member and was able to get a new unit within a week.
Your preferred warranty plan can also include perks like 24/7 access to technical experts, so if you have a software-related problem, you can expect to quickly find a resolution.
4
Onsite Services or Express Replacements to Save Time
Lastly, premium warranty plans can come with time-saving perks like onsite services or express replacements. These are especially useful if you’ve found it difficult to visit a local service center or need a replacement device in your hands before you ship your current one for repairs. However, remember that customer services vary from region to region.
Onsite services can range from repairs and diagnostics at your doorstep to pick-up and drop-off services via couriers. On the other hand, express replacements can have you up and running quickly with a new device, skipping the wait for a repaired phone to come back to you.
With these advantages, I think premium warranties make a lot of sense. Be it the ease of setting up repairs, the lower cost of getting fixes, or reduced timelines, especially for expensive flagship phones that you may keep for at least three years.