Mobile phone insurance - is it worth it?

Many providers want to sell you cell phone insurance along with a new smartphone. Well-known insurance companies such as "Schutzbrief24" or "Handy-Versicherung" from O2 offer you sensible insurance policies at first glance. But is it worth it at all? In this tip, you can read whether, and if so when, insurance for the cell phone makes sense.

For whom a cell phone insurance is worthwhile

Mobile phone insurance is rarely worthwhile for you. For example, they cover material defects, theft or negligence. However, material defects are already covered by the dealer's guarantee, and household theft insurance takes care of theft from the home. In the event of damage, you will only receive the current value of the cell phone or smartphone, usually in the form of a (used) equivalent cell phone.

What you have to watch out for with smartphone protection

As with all contracts, there are a few things to look out for:

• Read the terms of the contract and the fine print very carefully. Many insurance companies severely limit the claims covered. For example, "theft" can only include burglary or robbery. If your smartphone is stolen from your pocket, the insurance would not pay in this case.
• Some cell phone insurance companies reserve a special right of termination. If you have too many claims, you will be terminated by the insurance.
• You usually have to bear any damage caused by jail breaks or rooting on the smartphone.

Another practical tip will tell you whether iPhone insurance is worthwhile. An Apple Care Protection Plan could also be worthwhile for large devices as an Apple customer. Read more about this in this article.