Guide updated on January 5, 2022 with the insurance offered by the operators SFR, Orange and Bouygues.

The unconditional love that the French have for their smartphone often ends with loss and a crash. 82% of French people have already broken (more or less severely) their phone according to the insurer Coverd! Cracked screen, HS panel, chipped back, even oxidized mobile following a fall in the toilet or a "coffee accident"... Clumsiness is one of the worst dangers that awaits our mobiles. Not to mention that they are the object of envy. Simple or snatching thefts are a daily occurrence and often target high-end smartphones, starting with iPhones.

In all cases, whether it is an accident, loss or theft, the cost of repair or replacement often leaves a bitter taste. Count, for example, €361.10 to repair the screen of an iPhone 13 Pro Max in the Apple network, €319.90 for that of a Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and €399.90 for the screen of a Xiaomi Mi 11 in the WeFix network. And if it is necessary to re-equip completely after a loss or theft, it is a substantial budget that will have to be mobilized.

The question may therefore arise: is it in your interest to take out special insurance to protect your smartphone (and your budget) from these unfortunate incidents? The answer is yes, provided you carefully examine the scope of coverage of the different contracts.

While taking out an option for your home insurance (mobile devices) can be an easy solution, specialized insurers have also developed contracts dedicated to smartphones. What to consider before subscribing? The type of damage covered, as some contracts exclude purse-snatching or pick-pocketing, others do not cover oxidation or breakdowns. Another point of attention: the maximum level of reimbursement which must be adapted to the price you paid for your mobile.

To make your job easier, the CNET France editorial team has scanned the main contracts on the market to provide you with a comparison that will allow you to sharpen your choice.

At specialized insurers

Our selection:

1. Coverd: the best insurance for everyday accidents

Coverd is an insurtech specializing in the insurance of mobile devices (smartphones, computers, tablets). 100% web, so it can only be subscribed online. And without commitment, it can be interrupted during the contract (any month started remaining due).

In terms of damage covered, it protects against most accidents (see table). On the other hand, you must activate an option to be covered in the event of theft. And even with this one, snatching and sneaking are not covered. Just like losing your device.

Coverd provides a replacement phone in the event of a claim. Please note that these are troubleshooting devices, often of an older generation.

The Coverd offer in detail

2. Lovys: the best all-risk insurance

This insurance start-up offers a solution dedicated to smartphones. Its higher price than Coverd is explained by the wide scope of damage covered. Here, all types of theft (snatching, on the sly, etc.) are covered. The insurer undertakes to provide you with a new telephone within 48 hours. Be careful however, it will not be a new smartphone but a refurbished one, of the same model, unless the insured mobile is too old.

On the same model as other insurtechs, Lovys smartphone insurance is non-binding. A deductible is applicable for each claim, which varies according to the phone model. In other words, if you break your screen, for example iPhone, and the repair costs 300 euros, you will have 90 euros to pay.

The Lovys offer in detail

3. Parachut: the best for smartphones under €600

This online insurance insures all the goods you own (from the smartphone to the tennis racket). A basic plan (called Goodz) billed at €9.99 per month covers one or two devices. But within the limit of 600€. For example, a €1000 smartphone broken the week following its purchase will only be reimbursed up to €600 if it is unusable. This small amount of guarantee explains the fact that Parachut does not apply a deductible. Just like the fact that the insurer does not cover the theft of the smartphone.

The Parachut offer in detail

4. Carrefour Assurances: the best way to insure all your mobile devices

The supermarket chain's mobile insurance offers three subscription levels, from the most basic to the most comprehensive: €5.90/month for a device at €14.90/month for several, with more extensive warranties. Only the most expensive allows you to be covered in the event of theft (with aggression or snatching).

Carrefour assurance mobile insurance can only be taken out if the smartphone (new or refurbished by a professional) is less than 3 years old. Please note that it does not cover breakdowns. It does, however, cover all of the household's mobile devices.

The Carrefour Assurances offer in detail

5. MAE: the best for smartphones under 400 euros

The school insurance specialist has put together a contract that covers all the "tech" goods in the house: smartphone, laptop, tablet, music player , readers… For a flat rate of 12 euros per month, all these devices are covered, but within small limits for smartphones: 400€ maximum. A deductible also applies for each claim. For example, a broken screen whose repairs amount to 200 euros, 30€ will be due.

Only smartphones less than three years old can be covered. A waiting period of one month after subscription is also applied. Good: point: fraudulent communications made with a stolen device are also guaranteed up to a limit of €500, as well as theft of accessories (max €100).

The MAE offer in detail

6. AppleCare+: cut out for iPhone, but at a minimum

The Apple brand's special iPhone insurance is far from covering all the incidents that can affect these precious mobile devices. It only protects against accidental damage, such as the breakage of the screen or the back of the device after a fall. Flights are not affected. Just like accidental oxidation. This very limited insurance allows you to obtain technical assistance, by chat or telephone, same-day repair as well as an express replacement service.

The AppleCare+ offer in detail

And with mobile operators?

Mobile operators also insure your smartphone against the main problems that could happen to it (or that you could cause it). Their insurance covers new or refurbished mobiles, provided that you have purchased them from them. Subscription is generally done during the purchase, online or in store, and remains possible from several days to several weeks later.

Our selection:

1. SFR: the best smartphone insurance to make it simple

The operator in the red square offers to insure smartphones, new or used, that you buy from it, in store or online, at the time of payment . To do so, it relies on Chubb, a global insurance giant, to offer smartphone coverage from $2.99/month to $16.99/month, depending on the device model.

This one, which commits you to 12 months, covers all types of theft (unless the mobile has been left unattended!), oxidation and accidental breakage. In these cases, the smartphone is repaired or replaced with an identical device (reconditioned or new).

Small bonuses in the event of theft: the cost of replacing the SIM card is covered up to €25 and in the event of theft abroad, up to €150 for a prepaid pack purchased locally. Fraudulent communications or connections made within 24 hours of a theft are also reimbursed. Finally, if original accessories are damaged at the same time as the smartphone, they can be reimbursed up to €100.

SFR's mobile insurance does not cover the loss of the smartphone, a breakdown or aesthetic damage (scratches, etc.).

The SFR offer in detail

2. Orange: the best insurance to protect your smartphone 360°

Reserved for Orange and Sosh mobile subscribers (excluding prepaid offers), Orange's 24-hour mobile insurance covers breakage, theft (all causes) and oxidation. It can be taken out for a new or used smartphone, from Orange or any other French professional. As with the competing operator SFR, the loss of the mobile or a breakdown does not fall within the scope of the insurance.

The higher the value of the smartphone, the higher the insurance premium will be: count for example €2.99/month for a device under €100, €14.99/month if it costs €401 to €800, or, at the most expensive, €20.99/month if its value is between €2001 and €3000. There are 6 levels in total. Please note: the insurance involves a 12-month commitment.

In the event of breakage, oxidation or theft (by attack, break-in, clandestine entry, pick-pocketing or on the sly), a “replacement device” is sent. It is a refurbished smartphone identical to the guaranteed device or, in the event of unavailability, an equivalent device. And if no replacement device is available, the smartphone is then refunded. Accessories are also covered up to €100, the cost of a new SIM card as well as the out-of-package fraudulently effected after a theft.

The Orange offer in detail

3. Bouygues: the best for those who want a smartphone with a package

Reserved for buyers of a smartphone on the Bouygues site or in Bouygues stores, the operator's insurance covers the most common problems (theft all causes, water damage, breakage). But beware, it can only be subscribed during the 5 days following your purchase. After, it will be too late.

Here too, the price of the monthly subscription is set according to the value of the smartphone you buy. It includes 4 levels ranging from €3.99/month for the least expensive smartphones to €14.99/month for the most expensive. Please note that smartphone insurance commits you for 12 months. In other words, it will be impossible for you to terminate the insurance whenever you wish during the subscription year.

The operator's insurance leaves the choice in the event of a problem. In case of damage or oxidation, the device can be either repaired or replaced. It is necessarily replaced in case of theft. In addition, fraudulent communications as well as the replacement of the SIM (within the limit of 25 euros) are also included. Just like 80 euros for accessories and connectors.

The replacement device is here also, in the first place, a refurbished smartphone of the same model, an equivalent refurbished one and, if these devices are unavailable, a new identical or equivalent device in specs.

The Bouygues offer in detail

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