Broken glass on an Honor 8? All you need to know for a free repair

The fantastic Honor 8 is available in the US for just $399, and if you register your device, you get three months of free broken glass -- that's front and back -- protection.

Consumers who purchase an Honor 8 in the US are eligible for three months of screen protection, free of charge Here are the details on this protection program:

• How do I register for coverage?: Visit the Honor registration website to register your new phone within 30 days of purchase.
• Do I have to purchase my Honor 8 directly from the Honor site?: No. You can buy from various retailers, and the only restriction is that it must be a US model. Honor validates this through the IMEI number.
• When does the three-month coverage begin?: Coverage starts on the date of purchase.
• How many repairs can I get in the coverage period?: You are eligible for a single repair -- either the front or the back of the phone.
• Is there a deductible like everyone else charges?: No. Similar to HTC's plan, there is no deductible, and this is truly a free coverage option.
• Do I get an advanced replacement?: No. Your phone is shipped to Honor and then a repaired phone is sent back to you.
• How much is shipping?: Honor provides free two-way shipping of your phone.
• Who can I call to discuss this in more detail?: Call the customer care center at 1-844-524-6667.
• How do I initiate a replacement under this coverage?: Call the customer care center at 1-844-524-6667 to get started with your claim.
• What can I do if I break my phone after three months?: Honor offers screen repair services in case the front, back, or both panels are broken. Prices have not yet been posted, but after three months, call the customer care center to discuss.

My oldest daughter has an iPhone 5 and wanted to try something new. I let her borrow the evaluation Honor 8, and unfortunately, it slipped out of her hand onto a concrete patio and the front display cracked. The Honor 8 is a slippery bugger with front and rear glass panels, but thankfully, Honor understands accidents happen and sent along a replacement evaluation unit to continue testing.

In addition to Honor's free protection program, HTC offers the one-year free Uh Oh coverage, while ZTE offers the Axon Passport service where a replacement costs $80 (although coverage for two years is provided for free).

Honor 8 product and sample photo gallery

Apple Care+ costs $129 just to have the coverage, and then you pay $29 for screen replacement or $99 for screen and additional damage. Considering the iPhone models are the highest-price phones available, you may want to consider this if you drop your phones. I paid for it several times and never used it, so I no longer purchase the coverage.

Samsung Protection Plus is also priced at $129 for two years for the most recent Galaxy smartphones. If you need to replace a broken phone, the deductible is $95. Again, I purchased this coverage a couple of times, but then cancelled it when I sold the phones and received a credit for the pro-rated amount of time left on the coverage.

There are also third-party protection plans, but I have only broken one phone out of hundreds I have bought and tested, so I no longer buy the plans for myself. The 2013 Moto X I dropped was also replaced through Motorola's protection plan for just a $39 fee.

US Honor 8 customers can rest easy getting used to their new gorgeous smartphone for the first three months, and I encourage any new Honor 8 owner to register now for this free protection plan.