You never know when a sudden downpour or slippery grip could turn your $600 future-phone into a dripping, shattered brick of aluminum, glass, and resentment. If you don't have insurance, if your phone is rendered useless in a manner not covered by a carrier's policy, or if you can't afford the deductible (up to $199), you will be happy you kept your old phone around.
Beck Diefenbach/Reuters
Phil Schiller, senior vice president of worldwide marketing at Apple Inc, speaks about iPhone 5 pricing during Apple Inc.'s iPhone media event in San Francisco, Calif., Sept. 12, 2012.