Years ago, my iPhone 7 fell off my nightstand, bounced off a plastic box and landed face down on the hardwood floor.
I picked it up, hoping for the best, but the screen was shattered. Due to an unfortunate mix of physics and karma, the hardest impact was to the bottom, the only part of the device not protected by its Apple -branded leather case. (The latest Apple cases, for iPhone 12, completely cover all four sides. Finally.)
Apple’s standard warranty didn’t cover the damage, even though the phone was just months-old, because the drop was an accident. The bill for the screen replacement? $140.
Yep, that repair-hit stung. But do I regret passing up AppleCare+, which would have lowered my out-of-pocket cost? Nope.
One cracked screen was enough of a lesson. Since that fateful incident in 2016, I have yet to take in another phone for repair. And I’m not alone: A 2016 Verizon survey of over 1,000 U.S. adults found 49% of respondents had never broken or lost their phone, and 28% had done so once.
