How-To: Keep Your iOS Device Protected Against Everything!

Keeping your iPhone, iPod, and iPad safe can be hard. Apple has made these products extremely desirable to most everyone. Your iDevices are targets for criminals and if they have a chance, thieves will steal them. You can do the smart thing and use good common sense to keep your things safe. These include disguising an iPad inside a case that looks like a book, keeping your devices on your person at all times, and other sensible things. Apple provides a few ways to help you have some security. These include putting a passcode lock on your iOS device and setting up the Find my iPhone/iPad feature. It is recommended that you have police assistance if you ever do need to track down a thief with Find My iPhone. Apple does offer AppleCare on iPads for $79 (and other iOS devices), which covers defects that may occur from everyday use over a two year period of time. But, there is no accidental damage or theft coverage included. So what if the worst happens and your iPhone, iPad, or iPod get stolen? If you did not think ahead there is almost nothing that can be done to get them back. If you do plan ahead, getting your iDevice stolen will end up being a headache rather than a financial drain. We have been speaking to different insurance companies and have found two solutions that will protect you in almost every situation. We first tried to get insurance through State Farm. Evidently it is now company policy at State Farm to not insure anything with an “i” in front of its name! So iPods, iPhones, and iPads are now uninsurable through State Farm (unless it is a part of your home owner’s insurance). We were able to get insurance on the new MacBook Air, these are more costly and just as steal-friendly as an iPad. Next up is the highly acclaimed SquareTrade. SquareTrade goes beyond AppleCare by covering accidental damage. SquareTrade did not make it through our filter because it fails to protect against theft. Best Buy does offer a protection plan, but just like SquareTrade and Apple it does not protect against theft. After doing a bit of research we discovered the Worth Ave Group. The company has provided protection for the personal property of students, faculty and college staff since 1971, and they have now expanded beyond the education market. The company is licensed in all 50 states and has fantastic customer service. When you call them you get a chance to talk to some of the most knowledgable and friendly people in the industry. There is also a live chat available through their website to quickly answer questions for you. The company has great financials and sends out claim checks every week. The turn around time on a claim is very fast and they are reliable. What do their insurance policies cover? Their policy is pretty comprehensive, it protects you against drops, liquid spills, cracked screens, liquid submersion, theft, vandalism, fire, flood, lightning strike, earthquake, hurricane, and tornadoes. Your device is covered worldwide, so if you are traveling you can have peace of mind. What does it cost to cover your device on a yearly basis? Original iPad:

• 16GB Wi-Fi: $32
• 32GB Wi-Fi: $37
• 64GB Wi-Fi: $52
• 16GB 3G: $38
• 32GB 3G: $53
• 64GB 3G: $59

iPad 2:

• 16GB Wi-Fi: $37
• 32GB Wi-Fi: $52
• 64GB Wi-Fi: $57
• 16GB 3G: $53
• 32GB 3G: $59
• 64GB 3G: $67

iPhone:

• 2G/3G (8GB): $55
• 3G (16GB): $63
• 3GS (16GB): $69
• 3GS (32GB): $79
• 4 (16GB or 32GB): $89

iPod touch (any generation):

• 8GB/16GB: $29
• 32GB: $39
• 64GB: $49

The prices are very affordable and the plans are very comprehensive. For each policy there is a $50 deductible. If you do need to file a claim for a stolen $499 iPad you will receive a check for $449 instead of the full $499. We did find some promo codes to make the plans a bit cheaper. To receive 15 percent off simply enter the promo code: ipadngravy. If that code becomes inactive you can also enter “tenoff” to receive 10 percent off. You can get started with your plan today by heading over to www.worthavegroup.com. If the Worth Ave Group is not for you, we did find one credible alternative. Safeware provides a similar service at similar rates. We found the website less user friendly and harder to navigate. The big difference is when traveling internationally the deductible goes up from $50 to $200. So there you have it … two fantastic options for keeping your iOS devices protected against everything! We would love to hear what you do to keep your iThings protected in the comments below.

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