HTC, the financially troubled smartphone maker that can't seem to buy a break despite building some great products, is getting a second job: phone repairman. The company just announced a new policy called HTC Advantage under which it will replace the cracked screen on any of its flagship devices for free. The policy also guarantees major Android software updates for two years.
Manufacturer repair policies are common (for example, AppleCare+ will cover iPhone damage for up to two years for $99), but they usually cost a fee. Wireless carriers and third parties like SquareTrade also offer device insurance policies, although they too have a monthly or yearly cost attached. HTC is one the only policies that comes at no cost, although it only covers the screen.
That's still a significant advantage, since screen damage is by far the most common type of physical damage to a smartphone — and by far the most deleterious to the overall experience. While many phones will continue to work with a cracked screen, a few won't (notably, the BlackBerry Z10), and a cracked screen will mar any screen imagery and text.
The policy only applies to HTC's latest "One" phones, including the HTC One, HTC One Mini and HTC One Max. To fix your phone, you'll have to ship the old one to HTC. You can either do so and wait patiently for HTC send the phone back to you at no cost, or you can shell out $29 for shipping, and HTC will overnight you a replacement phone, letting you send the broken one back once you have it. Your old phone's settings can be saved via HTC Backup software.
HTC also says it will guarantee that any phone covered by HTC Advantage will receive any major Android updates that debut during the two years after the device's official launch. However, the policy only considers new "dessert" names major updates, which means if a new version of Android keeps the same name (Jelly Bean, for instance, comprised Android 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3) the subsequent updates may not apply.
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