The worst part of owning a nice smartphone is living with the constant fear that you will break it. In the past, iPhone users have been the worst off of all smartphone users in this regard. Apple only offers a very limited 2 year AppleCare Warranty, while AT&T has told iPhone owners point blank that they're on their own if they break something.

That's all changing during next week's iPhone 3GS launch. We've just learned that Best Buy intends to offer their Black Tie Protection service to people who purchase an iPhone from their store. If you want an iPhone from Best Buy you will be able to get one on launch day, although you'll have to wait an extra three hours for the store to open at 10:00 A.M.

The Black Tie plan fully covers users in the event they drop, soak, crack, or otherwise break their iPhone. If you damage your phone so badly they can't fix it on the spot, Best Buy will even give you a loaner phone until they get yours fixed. It's a really fantastic plan, but it comes at a high price. Most smartphone owners pay $7-10/month for the service, and iPhone owners can look forward to shelling out $15/month for the plan. That's $180 a year, which pretty much means you'll be buying a new 16GB iPhone 3GS every 12 months.