This week we saw Microsoft announce a ton of new hardware. Along with this new hardware, Microsoft has now updated its accidental damage warranty offerings to cover the new range of products. While warranties aren"t very exciting, I think we can all agree that ones covering accidentaldamage can be pretty important and a great thing to know about.
Microsoft has long offered extended warranties under the "Microsoft Complete" name, covering almost everything you can buy in their stores. So what have they added and do you need it? Comparing the old policy to the new one, there are a couple additions that immediately jump out at you. You can see these below along with some tips and things to consider.
Note that these aren"t the only extended/accidental warranties around, just ones that Microsoft personally offers. There are tons of reputable third parties that provided warranties for electronics.
HoloLens
While the device hasn"t actually been released yet, Microsoft has listed the details of a "Complete" warranty coving their new hologram headset. While it doesn"t give us an idea of how much the plan itself costs, it does list a pricey $250 deductible if you need to get a replacement. This isn"t too surprising given the recently announced dev kits run an insane $3000.
Xbox Elite Wireless Controller
The Xbox Elite Controller is a premium accessory marketed towards professional gamers was announced earlier at E3. If this is going to be your go-to gamepad, you may want some better insurance considering its $150 cost. No word on price and it looks like this plan doesn"t cover accidental damage, so you may want to keep it in its included case if you"re transporting it.
Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book
For many of you interested in the new Surface line, you may be curious about the warranty. The warranty will cover up to two replacements and a $50 deductible. It"s important to note, on the Surface Pro 4, the keyboard cover is not covered under the warranty, and you will need to buy a separate "Accessories" warranty. The plans covering the main hardware will run you $149 for the Surface Pro 4 and $249 for the Surface Book.
Phones and Band
These are two devices that you will likely wear and use all the time. Because of this they are both devices that will get a fair bit of physical abuse, so it may be a good idea to protect them. For $99 for phones and $39 for the band you can purchase Microsoft Complete. If you damage your phone you will have to pay a $99 deductible, or a $30 one for your band. Considering the new Lumia 950 runs $550 and the Band 2 is $250, this might be one that you want to strongly consider.
Accessories
One of the newly introduced plans will cover accessories. Looking at the specifics of the plan it looks to be pretty broad, covering anything from keyboards and mice, to even 3D printers. While it"s probably not worth buying it for your $50 mouse (only to have to pay a $30 deductible), you will probably want to buy it for your $999 Cube 3D Printer which has a measly $50 deducible. No word on cost, but it seems like it will vary based on whether your device is less than $100, between $100 and $300, and greater than $300. Unfortunately, that puts the Surface keyboards in the middle category, meaning you will have to cough up a $40 deductible to get your replacement.