This is very subjective. My last couple phones have had Best Buy insurance, including my wife's current iPhone 4.
Best Buy charges $14.99 per month for up to 2 years. Assuming you upgrade at 20 months you will pay $300 for their coverage. I have used it and it works! You will get a refurb phone in about 3 - 5 days and a loaner phone if needed. There is a $0 deductible for any type of damage or issue except for loss, which is not covered.
Apple Care+ costs $99. There is a 2X limit to replace the phone if damaged by you. There is a $49 deductible. Assuming you go through both replacements for a total of 3 phones in 20 months it will cost you $197. I can't say if Apple will replace your damaged phone with a refurb or a new phone. I know that they offer advance replacement and will overnight you a phone, or you can go to your local Apple Store if there is one nearby. Apple Care+ also gives you 2 years of tech support at no cost and extends the 1 year warranty against defect to 2 years.
I don't know enought about the Verizon insurance to answer effectively.
On my new 4S I chose to go with Apple Care+. It's $100 cheaper if I use it to it's limits and $200 cheaper if I don't damage the phone. The tech support is a nice bonus and I live 1 mile from my local Apple Store (Best Buy too). It's also nice to know that it is paid for and I won't have an auto withdrawal every month for $14.99+tax.
If you are really accident prone then the Best Buy plan might end up a better deal, otherwise AC+ seems to be the way to go in my opinion. I didn't even give the VZ insurance a consideration because I was under the impression that there is a big deductible for damage.
I think Apple Care+ is the way to go. You only need to pay $99 once for 2 years and you are covered. Yes they limit you to 2 replacements at $49 a piece, but that's still cheaper than paying $10/month for Verizon insurance and you also have to pay $169 replacement fee. That is crazy expensive if you do the math. Plus if you are prone to breaking your phone and need to replace a smart phone on more than one occasion, you shouldn't have one.
I'm super upset with Verizon for not offering up Apple Care+. Just got my wife an iPhone 4S, and they did not offer.
You shouldn't be upset with VZW for not offering AppleCare+....if I'm not mistaken, AppleCare+ can only be purchased from Apple directly. Assuming you haven't had the 4s for more than 30 days you can still get it from Apple. I think you have to go to an Apple store with your receipt and after they inspect your 4s you can purchase it. You can contact Apple to verify.
You don't have to go to Apple to get the protection plan. Wife called
Verizon, she needs to go back to the store and get it there. Verified via
Verizon.
