Apple iPhone owners, like other AT&T subscribers, may soon be able to take out insurance on their smartphones. According to a seemingly internal AT&T document acquired by Boy Genius, MobileProtect will arrive the day before Apple’s 2010 WWDC, where it’s hoped a new iPhone will be introduced.
AT&T will offer its Apple iPhone users insurance for
their oh-so-breakable smartphones beginning June 6, according to what appears
to be an internal AT&T document acquired by the Boy Genius Report.
Citing a lack of iPhone insurance as a leading source of
iPhone-related customer complaints, the document states that the insurance will
be called MobileProtect, be offered by Asurion and be available through the Apple
App Store for $13.99 a month.
Deductibles will vary based on the purchaser’s iPhone, from
$99 for the 8GB iPhone 3G to $199 on a 32GB 3GS. There will be a 30-day
enrollment window, seemingly from the time the device is purchased, with the document stating that “eligibility is not
retroactive to [AT&T’s] existing iPhone base.”
Describing MobileProtect as “4-peril coverage,” like
AT&T’s current Wireless Phone Insurance program for other devices, the
document appears to note that MobileProtect will protect against mechanical and
electrical issues — post manufacturer’s warranty period and battery life
— as well as accidental damage, “liquid damage” and loss or theft.
It appears that the insurance could be a boon for both new iPhone owners
who know themselves to be particularly butterfingered — while a $199
deductible isn’t cheap, it’s better than ponying up $699 for a new 3GS — as
well as for AT&T. “Asurion owns the risk and P&L, eliminating AT&T
risk, development [money] and speeds time to market,” states the document.
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