Phone Insurance vs. Screen Protectors: Which Offers Better Value?

A screen protector is an easy investment that can prevent cracks. Phone insurance doesn’t prevent cracks, but it helps pay for expensive repairs and replacements. Since the two offer different benefits, many people wonder if it is really worth getting phone insurance when you have a screen protector already?

Let’s go over the pros and cons of both phone insurance and screen protectors to see what is the best option for you.

What Is Phone Insurance?

Definition

Phone insurance is coverage offered by carriers, manufacturers, or third-party providers. It aims to protect you from phone problems like accidental drops and screen cracks, which are not covered by the standard warranty.

What it covers

Most phone insurance policies cover:

Accidental damage: Broken screens, water damage, and other expenses that arise from accidents are typically covered by phone insurance.

Theft: Theft is an unpredictable risk that can happen to anybody. You don’t even have to lay your phone unattended in public. Pickpockets have ways to quickly steal a phone from purses and pockets, or even snatch your bag itself.

Loss: While not all policies cover loss, it is an important point of coverage for those who tend to lose things while on the move.

Hardware issues: If something happens to the phone’s hardware, insurance may cover the repair bill.

Policies can vary greatly. Some phone insurance plans can even cover a wide range of other devices (e.g. laptops and gaming consoles) or insure multiple phones.

Costs

Phone insurance has a monthly or yearly premium. The premium is a recurring cost you need to pay to maintain active coverage. Simple phone insurance usually costs around $8 to $15 a month.

Phone insurance can also come with deductibles. A deductible is the amount you need to pay out-of-pocket before insurance kicks in to cover the rest. A lower deductible means that even smaller, frequent repairs can be covered. However, it does increase the premium, which may not be worth it for most phone users.

Generally, phone insurance costs between $5 and $25 a month. The premium can vary based on how extensive your coverage is. For a flagship phone, phone insurance might cost $15 a month, or $180 in a year.

Limitations

The main downside to all insurance products is that if nothing happens to your device, it may feel like a waste of money. Consider whether it is worth it to allocate money towards phone insurance. You can also read our guide on Phone Insurance vs. Emergency Savings to explore the topic of what is the best way to pay for phone repairs and replacements.

In addition, most insurance policies come with a list of exclusions. These excluded incident types or components will not be covered if they are the cause of your phone damage. Some phone insurance plans can cover worn-out, broken batteries, while others do not. Some policies cover refurbished or used phones, while others only cover new phones. Some policies only cover a limited number of claims in a year.

Smartphone insurance may also exclude phone viruses, which can lock you out of using your phone and are difficult to deal with. Check your policy details to be aware of what is covered and what is not.

What Are Screen Protectors

Screen protectors stick to the screen of your phone. They can be made from a myriad of materials, which vary in quality, thickness, and cost. Let’s go over what you need to know about using screen protectors to protect your phone.

Types of screen protectors

Tempered glass: Glass screen protectors are high quality, excellent for protecting against screen cracks. The main downside is that tempered glass can be somewhat heavy and thick.

Plastic films: Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic is light, thin, and smooth. PET plastic phone films unfortunately don’t work as well if you have curved surfaces on your phone.

Liquid protectors: Nano liquid protectors are usually made from silicon dioxide, not actually liquid.

Cases: A case actually covers the entire back of the phone, not only the frontal screen. Cases are much heavier than screen protectors, which barely affect the phone’s weight at all. The upside is that you can choose decorative phone cases with robust protection. It is generally recommended to use a phone case since it can prevent slips, cracks, and cosmetic damage.

New phone protectors are constantly being developed and upgraded.

Average cost and lifespan

You can easily buy a screen protector for $10 or less on Amazon. However, the quality can improve dramatically if you choose a more expensive, well-reputed one. Consider the material. A reputable brand’s screen protector of around $50 offers great protection.

What screen protectors actually prevent

Screen protectors are great for preventing scratches, cracks from drops, and minor impacts. They work. They work to different degrees depending on the screen protector’s quality and material.

Depending on your phone model and age, a screen protector can also provide different value. Some modern, flagship smartphones aim to be as thin and easy to carry as possible, making them less sturdy than the older, famously robust Nokia flip phones.

Limitations

The disadvantages of screen protectors include not being able to help with theft, water damage, or total phone loss. It mainly protects the front screen so that you can continue using it without many scratches or split screens.

As for whether you should get a screen protector, because screen protectors are fairly affordable and good value, many people instead worry about the cosmetic difference of adding a screen protector. Some materials can appear glossy, glassy, or smudge easily. These are all factors to consider while buying a phone screen protector.

Cost Comparison: Insurance vs. Screen Protectors

Insurance Costs

Phone insurance has monthly fees. You can also choose to pay the premium annually or based on the frequency your insurer offers.

Also consider any deductibles for replacements/repairs. Every time an incident occurs, you would have to pay a per-claim insurance deductible. If you file two large claims a year and the deductible is $250, that means you’d pay $500 out of pocket even with phone insurance.

Screen Protector Costs

Screen protectors and cases feel less frustrating to purchase because they are a one-time cost. Good screen protectors can be as affordable as $20 to $50, and you won’t need to worry about any recurring payments as you would with phone insurance.

Example scenarios

Let’s say you have an iPhone 15 that costs $800 to purchase. You are careful with it, but you do bring it with you everywhere. You end up cracking the screen open.

If you have insurance with a $100 deductible, here’s what would likely happen:

1. Alert your phone insurance company on the day of the incident
2. Go to a repair shop. The expert says the iPhone 15 screen repair costs $300
3. File an insurance claim
4. You pay the $100 deductible, your phone insurance company pays the other $200
5. You save $200 on phone repair

If you don’t have any phone insurance company, then you’ll be in trouble. You will have to pay all $300 by yourself.

Let’s take a look at a different scenario. You lose your phone completely to a thief in Times Square. A screen protector would not be able to fix that problem. Instead, you just lose the value of the screen protector along with the phone. Here is what would likely happen if you have insurance:

1. Alert your phone insurance company of the details of your incident
2. File a police report of the theft
3. You pay the $100 deductible
4. The insurer helps you replace the entire $800 phone. You save $700, allowing you to afford the new phone within a few days

Without phone insurance, you would have to pay $800 by yourself to replace the new phone. You might even have to buy a new screen protector for another $20.

Conclusion: If something happens to your phone, phone insurance can save you a lot of money.

Risk & Lifestyle Factors

Who benefits most from insurance?

Phone insurance is useful for anyone, since no one can guarantee a phone will not be damaged or stolen while they own it. Accident-prone users, frequent travelers, and families with teenagers benefit the most from phone insurance.

Who benefits most from screen protectors?

Careful users, budget phone owners, and those who rarely upgrade should invest in a good screen protector. The screen protector can improve the longevity of the phone, reducing the need for a new phone or phone repairs.

Hybrid approach

Phone owners may want to use both phone insurance and a screen protector for maximum protection. Even investing in a cheap screen protector for $5 is better than nothing because it can prevent screens from breaking when you drop them.

Pros & Cons at a Glance

We’ve compiled a pros and cons list of the main features of both phone insurance and screen protectors.

Which Option Offers Better Value?

For expensive flagship phones

Expensive phones can benefit from insurance because the cost far exceeds the potential loss.

For example, the newest Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 phone costs a whopping $1999.99 for 512GB, and even more if you want more storage space. The newest iPhone 17 starts at $799, which is also a significant amount of money that can take months to save up for.

Regardless of which new phone you’re buying, that is so much money that would go to waste if you lose or break the phone and cannot afford the replacement or repairs.

For older/budget phones

Screen protectors offer the best ROI for budget phones that are affordable and easy to replace. Budget phones can be purchased for less than $200. If broken, it might even be more affordable to replace a budget phone than to repair it.

For risk-averse users

If you’re reading this guide and are worried about damaging your phone, consider the idea of combining both a screen protector and an insurance policy to provide peace of mind. A screen protector can prevent cosmetic damage and more heavy physical damage. But since it cannot prevent all phone incidents, having phone insurance serves as a financial safety net.

Conclusion

Both phone insurance and screen protectors can save you money by protecting your phone’s value. Applying a screen protector to your phone screen is a simple, hassle-free one-time payment, but screen protectors are not omnipotent. Phone insurance is a recurring cost that can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars over the course of your phone’s life.

Phone insurance or screen protector… what provides better value depends on your phone’s worth, as well as your lifestyle, budget, and risk tolerance.

It’s takes minutes to find affordable phone insurance with great value. Check out our ranked list of the best phone insurance companies..