Later this month AT&T will finally do away with dedicated iPhone insurance plans and introduce the device to its standard mobile insurance plan at $4.99 a month.
From July 17, all iPhone models will be eligible for the standard mobile insurance program, which covers the device against loss, theft, accidental physical or liquid damage and mechanical and/or electrical failure:
Please Note: AT&T Mobile Insurance Update: Effective July 17, 2011, the Apple iPhone (all models) will be eligible for coverage with the AT&T Mobile Insurance program (formerly Wireless Phone Insurance). Enrollment restrictions apply. Customers can only enroll within 30 days of a new activation or upgrade, prior activations or upgrades outside of 30 days are not eligible.
The standard plan costs $4.99 per month, plus a $50 or $125 charge when you make a claim, depending on which iPhone model you have.
As noted by MacRumors, AT&T has long treated the iPhone differently than other devices on the network with regards to insurance. The company didn’t offer any insurance for the first-generation iPhone, but did introduce a special plan in 2010 at $11.99 a month — nearly twice as much as third-party options.