Warranty, protection plan, or neither
They cover different things, and the overlap is smaller than the checkout page suggests.
A warranty covers the manufacturer being wrong. A protection plan covers you being unlucky. They are sold at the same moment and are constantly confused, which suits nobody except whoever is selling the second one.
The warranty is already yours
It is included, it is not optional, and in most of the world it lasts longer than the box says. It covers a fault that was there when the thing was made: a screen that fails, a port that stops charging, a battery that dies early. It never covers a drop.
A plan covers the drop
- Accidental damage, which is the whole reason to buy one.
- Sometimes theft, sometimes not. Read that line specifically.
- Usually a fee per claim, and usually a cap on claims per year.
The honest test: could you replace this tomorrow, out of pocket, without it hurting? If yes, skip the plan. If no, and you carry the thing around all day, the plan is insurance and insurance is for exactly that.
Never buy a plan for something that lives on a desk and never moves.
Tom Vance
Reviews editor
Lives with everything for a week before writing a word about it. Believes most gear is judged too early and returned too late.
