Samsung Care+ Vs. Carrier Insurance: Which Is Better For Your Samsung Phone?

New Samsung Galaxy smartphones come with a one-year limited warranty that covers manufacturing defects. However, despite Samsung being one the Android brands with the best warranties, its policy doesn't cover accidental damage like drops and spills, screen repairs, or theft and loss. To address this, the company offers the Samsung Care+ protection plan.

This add-on covers Galaxy smartphones, tablets, wearables, and laptopsand extends Samsung's manufacturer warranty to cover accidental damage, screen and battery issues, and mechanical breakdowns — with the option to add loss and theft insurance. Essentially, it's Samsung's version of Apple Care.

If you own an expensive new phone, a protection plan is worth investing in. After all, accidents happen, and something as simple as spilling your coffee over your Samsung Galaxy S26 could end up being an expensive mistake. But Samsung isn't the only company that offers additional protection for your smartphone, as major phone carriers like AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile also offer their own protection plans. So, it can be challenging to know which is best for your phone. Below, we break down the costs and coverage of Samsung's Care+ plans and compare it against those of similar phone carrier insurance plans to determine which is better for your Samsung phone.

Samsung offers two main Care+ plans for Galaxy phones: Care+ and Care+ with Theft & Loss. Both offer 24/7 expert support and include unlimited replacements and repairs for drops, spills, and mechanical problems. With both, breakdowns are fully covered in the cost after the first year, with accidental damage handling (ADH) repairs and replacements costing $99.

However, the upgraded Theft & Loss plan also covers cracked screen and backglass repair — which costs $29 with standard Care+ — and includes insurance coverage for lost, stolen, and unrecoverable phones at a $99 deductible. You can make a maximum of three claims (up to $2,500) within any 12-month consecutive period with this plan.

You can pay your Care+ plan monthly (which is automatically billed each month for three years, unless canceled) or pay for a 24-month term upfront. The price depends on the value of your device, with monthly costs ranging from $3 to $14 for Care+ and $9 to $21 for the upgraded plan — monthly costs for Theft & Loss rise after 60 days. Tier 1 is the lowest and includes Samsung Galaxy A series smartphones, like the Galaxy A37 5G, while Tier 4 is the highest and includes foldable phones, like the Galaxy Z Fold 8. Either plan can be canceled at any time.

Carrier insurance coverage and prices can differ quite a bit, as they're not exclusive to one phone brand, though you may have to be an active customer of the carrier to be eligible. So, we've focused on two popular plans: Verizon Mobile Protect and T-Mobile Protection 360.

Offered in partnership with Asurion, Verizon Mobile Protect is a comprehensive plan that covers loss, theft, damage (including liquid and screen damage), and post-warranty malfunctions. The plan also includes 24/7 tech support, $0 deductible cracked screen repairs for select smartphones (including Galaxy devices), unlimited repairs and replacements for post-warranty mechanical issues, and next-day replacements (unless you're in Florida). Verizon offers multi-device protection, but its single-line plan costs between $16 and $19 a month.

T-Mobile's Mobile Protection 360 (P360) offers unlimited claims for accidental damage, mechanical, and electrical failure, up to five device replacements for loss of theft in a rolling 12-month period, along with $0 front screen repairs, $29 back glass repairs, and unlimited screen protector replacements for eligible models bought at T-Mobile. Like the other plans, monthly costs depend on your device tier, but they range from $7 to $26.

We advise choosing the Samsung Care+ protection plan, as it offers more affordable monthly payments and deductibles than competitors, the ability to cancel anytime, unlimited repairs, and doesn't tie you to one phone carrier — or make you wait until your manufacturer warranty ends. If you can afford to do so, it's worth spending the extra few dollars a month to upgrade to Theft & Loss to remove screen repair costs and give you extra peace of mind.

Below, we've broken down the main features of each of these plans so you can clearly see what they offer and how much they cost.

While user experiences of using the repair and replacement services differ, with some finding it straightforward to claim through the plan and others describing being passed from pillar to post, those who own expensive Galaxy smartphones, like the $1,899 Fold8, highly recommend Samsung's Care+ protection plan, claiming it saved them considerably on repair costs from accidental damage.