Should You Buy Samsung Care+ for Your New Galaxy S24 Phone?
The manufacturer offers three distinct plans. Here's how to decide which one, if any, is best for you.
Buying any new electronic device is an investment—but particularly a pricey phone that goes with you everywhere. That’s what makes the extra warranty coverage in Samsung’s Care+ program sound tempting.
The plan—equivalent to the popular Apple Care+ program—extends the manufacturer’s one-year warranty by up to two years, adding 24/7 tech support and protection against accidents and, if you choose, theft or loss, too.
But is it worth the cost? That depends on your device and, to a large degree, how accident-prone you are. To help you decide, we’ve gone through the fine print and broken down the various options and prices.
What Samsung Care+ Costs
Let’s start by saying there’s no easy answer here. You have to do some digging to find the figures and the caveats.
There are three plans: a standard Care+ plan, a pricier theft-and-loss plan, and a bare-bones Care Essentials plan. And each has four pricing tiers determined by the device you’re covering. Most Samsung phones, smartwatches, tablets, Chromebooks, Galaxy Books, Galaxy Buds, televisions, and home appliances are eligible, but we’ll focus on mobile devices here.
What Does Samsung Care+ Coverage Get You?
The chief benefit is cheaper repairs or model replacements, at least some of the time, and perhaps a little peace of mind. The program includes 24/7 tech support through the customer service platform Servify. The standard Samsung Care+ plan widens the scope of the manufacturer’s warranty to include repairs or replacements from accidents like drops and spills at a Samsung-negotiated fixed fee. It also extends your device’s original warranty beyond the one-year mark, which means Samsung will fix or replace the device, due to a mechanical issue, free of charge. In all cases, you first have to file a claim through Servify to have the repair approved.
With a Care+ plan: It costs a flat $29 flat fee to fix a cracked screen and $99 to repair or replace a device damaged by a mishap, like an accidental dunk in a sink. Samsung fully covers repairs caused by the sorts of mechanical issues addressed in the original warranty.
With the upgraded Theft and Loss plan: It costs $99 to repair or replace a broken phone or tablet and $29 to repair or replace a broken smartwatch. It also costs $29 to repair a cracked screen. To replace a lost or stolen device, you’ll pay a set deductible, ranging from $99 to $199. (Certain devices, like laptops, aren’t eligible for theft-and-loss coverage, and you can only replace three lost or stolen devices over a 12-month period.) Mechanical issues are fully covered.
With the Care+ Essentials plan: This bare-bones option extends the standard warranty for mechanical issues by one year but doesn’t help you in the event of accidents or lost devices. And only computers and earbuds are eligible for Care+ Essentials.
With New York-only Theft and Loss insurance: You’re covered for stolen or lost devices but not accidental damage or mechanical issues beyond the one-year warranty. Only phones, tablets, and watches are eligible.
For all Care+ plans: Samsung covers the cost of shipping when mailing devices, according to the terms of service. You can also bring your device to more than 700 uBreakiFix repair centers nationwide, as well as a select number of Samsung Experience stores, and have it repaired with Samsung-authorized parts.
What About Tech Support?
Need help setting up a Galaxy phone? Getting an error message on your Chromebook? While Samsung offers support to all customers, Care+ gets you 24/7 support through Servify’s online portal or by phone (833-690-0918). You can also have your questions answered in uBreakiFix stores.
Will Samsung Care+ Save You Money?
That’s the big question. Repairs for high-end smartphones and other mobile devices can get pricey. So let’s do some back-of-the-napkin math.
Say you drop your Samsung Galaxy S24 and the screen cracks. It would usually run you $174 to have a new screen installed, according to Samsung. With Care+ coverage, you pay just $29. But once you factor in the cost of Care+ ($99 upfront for 24 months of coverage), you come out just $46 ahead of the game. That’s nice, but not a huge savings.
But let’s say you drop the same device in the tub just a few months later and it doesn’t survive the dip. With Care+ coverage, it’ll cost you $99 to replace the Galaxy S24 altogether, far less than the $799 it would cost out of pocket for a new device. Now Care+ has saved you a total of $746. The point is: As with any extended warranty plan, the more mishaps you have, the more money you’ll save.
Is Samsung Care+ a Good Idea?
In the end, it really does come down to doing the math. According to a 2022 survey of CR members, only 20 percent of extended warranty programs, service contracts, and insurance plans for smartphones ever get used. This may be because high-end smartphones are more durable and water-resistant than in the past.
So you have to decide how likely you are to be one of the exceptions, the 1 in 5 plan members who may actually need to use the coverage. And then you have to rule out the alternatives. You may, for example, be able to get free protection by adding a device to your homeowners policy or by using coverage provided by your credit card company. Both options are well worth investigating before you make a final decision.
The bottom line: If you have a track record of losing or dropping your phone, it might make sense to spring for coverage, especially if we’re talking about a high-end model like the $1,500-or-more Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5. Care+ coverage may also make sense if you’re in frequent need of tech support. But barring that, you might be better off just taking that monthly payment and putting it into your savings account—on the off chance you need to pay for a repair.
