Mobile Phone Insurance

It’s as simple as this - if you’d be lost without your phone, then you may want to take steps to protect it.

If you’re a social person, for example, a university student, you’ll probably be travelling to and from lectures, out to parties and visiting friends. As you’ll be taking your phone to lots of places, this means you’re at higher risk of losing/damaging it. Additionally, students are unfortunately common targets for thieves. Insuring your mobile phone means that if something does happen to it, you won’t be without a device for long.

As with most insurance policies, there are a few things that aren’t covered with Protect Your Bubble’s mobile phone insurance. These include:

• Your excess (this will depend on your device)
• Phones over the maximum age when you buy the policy*
• Cosmetic damage which does not affect operation
• Mobile phone loss (unless selected)

*Your first gadget needs to be under six months old, your second gadget needs to be under 12 months old and third (or more) gadget need to be under 36 months old when you purchase the policy. If you’d like to add gadgets onto your policy after the initial purchase, they’ll need to be under 12 months old.

Protect Your Bubble cover starts from just £3.99 per month*. That’s 13p per day!** . Insure an iPhone 14 128GB for £6.99p/m

The cost of your mobile phone insurance will depend on a number of factors, such as:

• The make and model of your phone
• The value of your phone
• The level of cover you choose

Getting a phone insurance quote is quick and simple with Protect Your Bubble – you’ll get a price in under three minutes.

* Based on a Samsung Galaxy A20s under six months old

*Price without loss cover

** Calculation based on £3.99 per month over an average of 30.42 days

Don’t pay more than you need to. At Howden, we’re passionate about helping you get the most out of your money. Check out these tips for getting cheaper mobile phone insurance.

1. Check for existing cover

You may already be covered under your home insurance or uni accommodation.

2. Check your level of cover

You may be already covered under an existing policy, but that policy may only cover you in certain circumstances. Be sure to tailor your policy to your needs to make sure you aren’t caught short if you need to claim.

3. Be sensible about your excess

You may initially pay less if you choose a higher excess amount, but make sure you can afford that fee and you’re happy to pay it if you need to make a claim.

4. Take care

Needless to say, accidents and claims could raise the cost of your next insurance quote. Take extra care with your phone to avoid anything that may cause damage.

When deciding whether or not to insure your mobile phone, you should treat it the same as insuring any of your other belongings - if you can't afford to lose it, then it's probably a good idea to insure it.

Here are a few other scenarios where mobile phone insurance could be worthwhile:

1. You have a limited budget

If the cost of replacing your expensive handset makes your eyes water, getting mobile phone cover may help give you peace of mind that no unexpected costs will arise because of a missing or damaged mobile phone.

2. You have a history of losing or dropping your phone

We all know that accidents can happen, but some can be more costly than others. Buying mobile phone insurance could mean that you save money on buying replacement phones, and reduce the risk of being without a phone for a prolonged period of time.

3. You rely on your smartphone

For many of us, a smartphone is an integral part of your life. Whether it's storing personal data, recording lectures or organising your schedule, you won't want to wait until you can get hold of a replacement.

With Protect Your Bubble mobile phone insurance, your first gadget needs to be under six months old, your second gadget needs to be under 12 months old and third (or more) gadget need to be under 36 months old when you purchase the policy. If you’d like to add gadgets onto your policy after the initial purchase, they’ll need to be under 12 months old.

You may think that you don’t need to insure your phone because it’s still under warranty. However, this will normally only cover you if the device has a manufacturing defect. It won’t cover accidental damage like cracked screens, or loss/theft. This is primarily what mobile phone insurance is intended for.

As well as cover for theft, accidental damage and loss*, Protect Your Bubble’s mobile phone insurance will cover mechanical breakdown of your phone outside of the manufacturer’s warranty.

*If cover for loss is selected

Before taking out your own mobile phone insurance policy, check that your phone isn’t already covered under your home insurance, as some policies include this cover as standard. You may also be able to pay an additional premium to add it as a specified item.

My mobile phone is covered under my home insurance, is this enough?

If you do already have cover for your phone under your home insurance, it’s also important to check your policy documents to find out exactly what’s covered. You may find that your home insurance policy doesn’t provide the level of cover for your mobile phone that you would receive with specialist phone insurance. For example, will your phone be covered while you’re out and about? Is it covered against accidental and / or liquid damage?

If you’re heading to university, your belongings may be protected under your parents’ home insurance while you’re living in student accommodation. But again, it’s important to check what’s covered. Your phone may only be protected in your uni room, rather than when you’re out and about on campus.

Living in student accommodation? Your accommodation provider may already have some insurance in place for your belongings. Be sure to check whether this is the case before taking out a new policy.

My mobile phone is covered under my accommodation policy, is this enough?

It’s really important to note that if you do have an existing policy, whilst your phone may be covered in your uni accommodation, it may not be covered elsewhere. For example, when you’re at uni or on nights out. For this reason, you can choose additional cover on your existing policy to make sure you’re fully protected.

With Protect Your Bubble, your excess will range from £50 to £150 depending on what you’re claiming for and the make and model of your handset.