Samsung Galaxy S6 Extended Warranty Covers Broken Screens And Water Damage, For A Price

Your new Samsung Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S6 Edge handset may look good and work well now, but that could change in one unfortunate moment. Samsung guarantees its phones for a year in the event of a problem like battery failure, but its extended "Plus Mobile Elite" warranty extends that for another two years and covers drops and water damage, for a price.

The plan, which costs $99 for the Galaxy S6 and $129 for the Galaxy S6 Edge, includes protection against liquid damage, cracked displays, cracked backs, mechanical damage, and many other accidents. Samsung will replace a protected device up to three times during the warranty. Owners will have to pay a $75 service fee plus tax for the Galaxy S6 each time the warranty is used, and $95 plus tax for the Galaxy S6 Edge.

While Samsung promises the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge are extremely durable with reinforced metal and the latest Gorilla Glass 4 panels, which are supposed to be twice as strong as Gorilla Glass 3, the smartphones are still susceptible to accidents. Drop tests have proven that the Galaxy S6 Edge in particular is prone to shattering at its curved edges, and it succumbs to pressure in bend tests. Water tests have shown the Galaxy S6 Edge can last almost 25 minutes under water before shutting down, despite not being waterproof.

Perhaps people who are especially clumsy should consider the extended warranty. But there are much cheaper ways to protect your new Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S6 Edge handset, like investing in a smartphone case.