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Congratulations on buying your new iPhone 7. With the new cameras, beautiful screen and upgraded processors and battery, there's a lot you can do with it, as long you look after it.
Smartphones are annoyingly fragile. But there are workarounds. Try not being absent-minded about leaving that gorgeous jet black or matte black iPhone 7 on top of a table or bar, you'd be surprised how quickly it'll get flicked.
The new iPhones are water-resistant, so I highly recommend getting a protective case such as the i-Blason Armorbox to improve its durability.
Rugged cases like these make sure that your most expensive digital investment is fully protected in our urban conditions that are no less than war zones in their own right. In almost every case, prevention is better than cure, especially when it comes to your precious Apples.
The other thing you can do to protect your iPhones is Insurance. Health and Life Insurance which is offered as ‘Phone Insurance’ by many service providers. Now just like your personal insurance, you pay a premium to hedge yourself against a rainy day. If nothing happens, the premium paid is a sunk cost. But god forbid, if anything untoward happens, it's a thoughtful expense. No one can decide whether you need to buy phone insurance except yourself.
Your brand new iPhones come with a year's warranty and while Apple Care is quite comprehensive, it does not protect you against theft or accidental damage caused by you. This is when a third party insurance product should come to your rescue. Also, insurance products can be bought for used iPhones and other smart phones too.
This seems to be one of the most popular insurance providers, with most recommendations on Quora. The good thing about iPhone insurance plans from this site is that they have customised plans depending on your iPhone model. They are the only provider to have done this on the site and have an updated iPhone7/ 7Plus listing as well.
Their insurance plan covers damage, malfunction, defects, loss and theft. iPhone 7/ 7 Plus insurance plans start at Rs 4,780 for a year's coverage and go up to Rs 8,920 for a coverage of three years. They seem to be the most expensive of the three, but also appear to pack in the most number of features.
If you watch a ton of Youtube videos, it is virtually impossible to escape Irrfan Khan's non-skippable ads trying to sell you Syska Gadget Insurance. Their coverage plan includes theft, burglary, fire, water damage protection and packs in quite a few extras. Anti-virus protection, tracking and blocking your lost phone and access to movies, music and games via their custom apps are among their key add-ons. Even though they have insurance plans from Rs 799, the only one that fits your new iPhone 7 is for Rs 2,999.
A simple rule of thumb to follow when you buy a brand new smart phone is to set aside 10 percent of the cost of phone to accessories that protect your investment. So, set aside Rs 6,000 for your Rs 60,000 iPhone 7 32GB before you decide to make that purchase.
And remember, in the words of Peter Parker's uncle, with great power comes great responsibility.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)