If you bust your smartphone, you usually only have two options: repair it under warranty, or pay for the fixes out of pocket. But if you’re a T-Mobile subscriber, there’s a third way. On Friday, the magenta carrier announced Premium Device Protection Plus, a monthly plan add-on that includes identity theft protection tools, data protection, and technical assistance.
Premium Device Protection, which launches today for new and existing customers, packs a wealth of benefits that will keep your smartphone humming. You get 24/7 access to identity theft protection agents with lost wallet and ID restoration tools, and $1 million insurance for recovery expenses. And data protection’s in tow, too — the plan covers accidental damage and hardware service for any mechanical breakdown, as well as lost and stolen devices.
The new plan protects your device in other ways as well. With Premium Device Protection, you get security software from McAfee that scans up to ten of your devices — including phones, tablets, and even PCs and Macs — for viruses and malware, and that manages your passwords. Anti-theft features like a capture camera snap pictures of whoever’s trying to unlock your phone (after three failed attempts), and email you the location of lost devices.
That’s not the only added benefit of Premium Device Protection. If you own an iPhone, you get AppleCare Services, which include 24/7 priority access to AppleCare technicians (via chat or phone), discounts on service fees, Apple-certified repairs and replacements at Apple Stores and authorized service providers, software support, and more. And you get Tech PHD (Personal Help Desk) — “VIP-level” technical and diagnostic support via online chat, phone, and self-service resource for T-Mobile device accessories like printers, routers, TVs, and game consoles.
Premium Device Protection starts at $15, and T-Mobile subscribers who add Premium Device Protection within 60 days of purchasing a device are eligible to upgrade to T-Mobile Jump! Plus, T-Mobile’s early upgrade program that lets you upgrade to a new device when you pay off 50 percent of its cost.
T-Mobile’s new protection plan comes on the heels of a rumored discount phone service. According to Android Authority, the self-coined “Un-carrier” is working on a subscription plan that will reduce the price of top-tier phones like the Galaxy S8 and iPhone 7, which often retail for more than $650. It reportedly won’t require a contract, and it will come with a lifetime warranty and insurance included.
Android Authority expects it to launch in the third quarter of this year.
