Here's when it makes sense to buy Google's version of Apple Care for your Pixel 2 – and when it doesn't

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Google is offering its new Google Preferred Care plan that gives new Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL owners the option to fix accidentally broken phones or replace them if they start to act up.

It's basically Google's version of Apple's Apple Care plan for iPhones.

It's worth having a look at Google's Preferred Care plan, as its $129 price tag affords some decent peace of mind if you plan on keeping your Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL for at least two years. Yet, there's one instance when using Google's Preferred Care plan doesn't quite make sense.

Here's when it makes sense to buy Google's Preferred Care plan and when it doesn't:

Google's Preferred Care plan costs $129. Here's what you get:

- Two years of device protection from accidental damage, like drops and cracks.

- 24/7 priority access to support specialists

- Unlimited expert sessions to learn about your device

Google's Preferred Care plan makes sense if you want to cover your Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL an extra year on top of the one-year warranty.

For $129, Google's Preferred Care plan makes sense if you want to extend the one-year warranty on your Pixel 2 phone to two years.

If you buy Google's Preferred Care plan and your device needs replacing within two years of buying the device, you'll only have to pay the deductible for a replacement instead of the full price of a replacement device. The deductibles from Google's device replacement partner Assurant are $79 for the Pixel 2 and $99 for the Pixel 2 XL.

Keep in mind that the deductible is on top of the original $129 you spent on Google's Preferred Care plan, making for a total of $208 for a replacement Pixel 2, and $228 for a replacement Pixel 2 XL. But that's still cheaper than paying the full $650 for a Pixel 2 or $850 for a new Pixel 2 XL.

If you don't file a claim at all during the two years that your Pixel 2 is covered under Google's Preferred Care plan, you would have just paid $129 extra for the peace of mind.

Google's Preferred Care plan also makes sense to repair the screen on Google's larger Pixel 2 XL.

To repair the Pixel 2 XL with Google's Preferred Care plan, it'll cost you:

- $129 for the plan itself

- $99 deductible for the repair

- Total cost: $228

If you break your Pixel 2 XL's screen a second time with Google's Preferred Care plan, it'll cost you an extra $99 deductible, making for a total of $327.

If you brought a Pixel 2 XL with a cracked screen directly to Google's device repair partner UbreakIfix without buying Google's Preferred Care plan, it would cost you $220.

Sure, that's $8 less than going through Google's Preferred Care plan, but if you break your Pixel 2 XL's screen a second time, going directly to UbreakIfix without Google's Preferred Care plan would cost you another $220, making for a total of $440. With that in mind, it would be worth getting Google's Preferred Care plan if you plan on buying the Pixel 2 XL.

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