How to protect your premium phone: A complete guide to threat-proofing it

In 1995, a British physicist named Robert Matthews set out to prove something every kitchen already suspected. Toast really does land butter-side down, and it isn’t bad luck. Knocked off a table, a slice only has time to make about half a turn before it hits the floor.

Phones seem to follow the same cruel physics. Drop one, and it finds the one spot your protection can’t reach. Just ask this user:

“Basically, I was talking to someone when I dropped my phone. I thought it was no deal, as I have the case and screen protector. I saw a crack and thought it was the screen protector; it turns out the screen somehow cracked even with It."

But this was just one example.

A premium phone faces threats from every direction, whether physical or cyber, so protecting it can feel a bit like packing a raincoat for a beach holiday and coming home sunburned. You prepare for one threat, only for a different one to bite you.

A thief can slip it off the café table while you’re busy eavesdropping on the conversation behind you. One careless splash of your favorite Diet Coke can find its way inside, or a moment of clumsiness can send its screen into a tragic encounter with the floor.

Once the damage is done, fixing it is not as simple as you’d expect. The card perk you’re counting on can look like a sturdy safety net, until you spot the hole in the middle. And when a $1,200+ phone needs replacing, your coverage won’t always pay the full price, leaving you to cover the difference.

Even the repair counter has its surprises. You could pay for a genuine replacement part, only to find it doesn’t work properly once it’s fitted.

Since each threat calls for a different kind of protection, we’ve put together a guide to help you threat-proof your smartphone. So, let’s dive in.

Start with the armor, but don’t stop there

After that cracked screen, you might be tempted to toss your case in a drawer and call it a fashion accessory. Don’t. A good case and screen protector still do a lot of heavy lifting. They just aren’t superheroes, and knowing where their powers run out is what keeps your phone in one piece.

So before you hand them the job, check their credentials the way any good employer does.

The Mobile case is the first candidate on your list. Look for a raised lip around the screen and camera, because when the phone lands face down, that lip meets the floor first and takes the impact the glass would otherwise absorb.

It should also hug the phone tightly and cushion its edges, since a loose case can shift away mid-fall.

The screen protector comes next, and tempered glass is the one to choose. Some protectors only guard against scratches, while tempered glass is meant to help stop the screen from breaking, which is the damage that costs the most to fix.

One iPhone owner saw that pay off just a day after a nasty fall:

“My 18PM fell out of my hands yesterday, flat down on the screen. Thankfully, the screen protector absorbed all the damage. The screen is totally fine.”

A case can protect the outside of your phone. Thieves these days, however, are after what’s inside it.

Make a stolen phone useless to whoever takes it

To a thief, your phone is like a designer handbag. It’ll fetch a reasonable price on its own, but what’s tucked inside is worth far more.

It’s because of the data it holds. Your banking apps, your official email, the card details saved on your shopping apps, the passwords your browser remembers and the login codes your accounts text you. All of that is enough to have you living on instant noodles until payday.

For one pickpocketing victim, that wasn’t a figure of speech:

“My phone was stolen from my person… I went home thinking maybe I left my phone in the restaurant… looks like I was correct that the phone was stolen and used to drain all but $4.61 from my checking and savings account… The thieves used it to gain access to my Wells Fargo debit card information and withdraw funds at two different ATM’s.”

A few hours of not knowing were all it took. And the thieves needed nothing more than a way past the lock screen.

So the best protection is a phone that locks itself the moment it leaves your hand.

If you have an Android, you can turn on Theft Detection Lock, so the phone uses its sensors to spot a snatch and lock itself before anyone can scroll through it. Then switch on Offline Device Lock as well, since some thieves pull the SIM card or flip on Airplane Mode to stop you from wiping the phone remotely.

On iPhone, turn on Stolen Device Protection instead. It asks for Face ID or Touch ID before certain actions and makes anyone changing your Apple Account password wait an hour and scan again. That makes it far harder for a thief to take over your account.

Your money is safe, but the phone is still gone. That’s where your credit card comes in, or so you’d hope.

Check whether your card’s phone cover can handle a premium bill

Your monthly phone bill could do more than keep you connected. Pay it with the right credit card, and your phone gets damage and theft cover at no extra cost.

On a cheaper phone, that perk can cover most of the damage. On a premium one, it starts to run out of road.

That’s because every card caps what it will pay. American Express cards with the benefit pay up to $800 per claim, with a maximum of two claims per year and a $50 deductible. The Wells Fargo Active Cash card stops at $600 per claim with a $25 deductible, and won’t pay anything if your phone is lost rather than stolen.

And here’s how the cover looks once you step outside the Amex family:

So when the card’s payout falls short, the next decision is who gets to fix your phone.

Know your rights before the repair counter quotes you

Now imagine your phone screen is cracked and a shop down the road quotes half of what the brand would charge. Tempting, until a small voice asks whether walking in there will cost you your warranty.

It won’t, at least not on its own. Using a local shop is a lot like servicing your car at the garage around the corner instead of the dealership. Under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, a company can’t refuse a covered repair just because you once used an independent shop for something else. It can refuse to cover damage that shop caused, though, so pick a repairer with a good track record and keep the receipt.

Premium phones bring one more catch, called parts pairing. A component like the screen is digitally matched to that phone’s serial number, so even a genuine replacement can leave the repair only half working.

So every crack and spill leaves you choosing between the brand’s top-dollar repair and a cheaper gamble. Accidental damage protection takes that decision off your shoulders.

Close the gap before the first drop

Dear owner,

You’ve already done a lot for me. You picked out a case that hugs my corners and tempered glass for my face, then switched on the settings that keep thieves out of your bank account. I noticed. Thank you.

But I need to be honest about something. One day, I’m going to slip. Maybe off a café table, maybe out of your pocket by the pool. And when it happens, the warranty I came with will shrug, because a fall isn’t a factory fault.

That’s why I’d feel a lot safer with SureBright Anywhere’s accidental damage protection. If I crack or take a swim, you file a claim and SureBright arranges my repair. If I’m beyond saving, you get a replacement or reimbursement, so you’re never stuck choosing between the brand’s pricey fix and a stranger’s screwdriver. You can even keep my receipt in the free Warranty Vault, so proving I’m yours is easy.

Just don’t leave it too long. You only have 30 days after buying me to add the plan.

With love (and a slight fear of heights),
Your phone

Before yours has to write you a letter like this, protect it with SureBright Anywhere.