AppleInsider is supported by its audience and may earn commission as an Amazon Associate and affiliate partner on qualifying purchases. These affiliate partnerships do not influence our editorial content.
All new Apple products come with a one-year limited warranty and 90 days of free technical support. If customers want more coverage for their new devices, they can pay for AppleCare+ extended warranty plans directly from Apple. Customers have 30 to 60 days to activate AppleCare+ from the time of purchase. For many Apple devices, the coverage can be activated from the Settings app. Apple's basic device warranties cover manufacturer defects or failures, like bending, dents, or dead pixels. AppleCare builds on this by adding accidental damage repair and remote software support. It functions like car insurance, where you pay for the extended coverage upfront then pay a deductible when needed. AppleCare doesn't cover user-created damage like unauthorized repair or modification, illegal software manipulation or download, or other non-accident-related events. In these cases, Apple will turn customers away or require full device replacement. Apple will not provide support on devices that have not been updated to the latest software version. Devices covered by this plan:
Screen or enclosure damage costs $99 to repair, and any other damage costs $299. Customers only get two out-of-warranty repairs covered by AppleCare+. After using those up, they will have to pay full price. AppleCare+ is available for all modern Macs and gets you three years of coverage. Adorama is offering AppleInsider readers $80 off AppleCare+ for the 16-inch MacBook Pro. Use coupon code APINSIDER with our special 16-inch MacBook Pro pricing links to get your discount on an eligible 16-inch MacBook Pro. Devices covered by this plan:
Screen damage costs $29 to repair, and any other damage will cost $99. Customers only get two out-of-warranty repairs covered by AppleCare+ and will pay full price after using those up. AppleCare+ is available for all currently supported iPhones. There is an additional theft and loss program exclusive to iPhone. Only the models sold by Apple can have a subscription-based AppleCare+ service. iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini 2 years of AppleCare+ with one-time payment:
Up to 5 years of coverage with monthly payments:
iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max 2 years of AppleCare+ with one-time payment:
Up to 5 years of coverage with monthly payments:
iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini 2 years of AppleCare+ with one-time payment:
Up to 5 years of coverage with monthly payments:
iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max 2 years of AppleCare+ with one-time payment:
Up to 5 years of coverage with monthly payments:
2 years of AppleCare+ with one-time payment:
Up to 5 years of coverage with monthly payments:
2 years of AppleCare+ with one-time payment:
Up to 5 years of coverage with monthly payments:
iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max 2 years of AppleCare+ with one-time payment:
Up to 5 years of coverage with monthly payments:
2 years of AppleCare+ with one-time payment:
Up to 5 years of coverage with monthly payments:
iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max 2 years of AppleCare+ with one-time payment:
2 years of AppleCare+ with one-time payment:
iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone 7 Plus 2 years of AppleCare+ with one-time payment:
Deductibles paid for loss or theft depend on the model affected:
Devices covered by this plan:
All repairs for the iPad cost $49 for any accidental damage and $29 for Apple Pencil or Apple-branded keyboard. AppleCare+ covers two incidents. The insurance is available for all modern iPads and gets you two years of coverage. Devices covered by this plan:
Repairs cost $69 for the standard Apple Watch and Apple Watch Nike. The more expensive Apple Watch Edition and Apple Watch Hermes can be repaired for $79. AppleCare+ is available for all modern Apple Watches and covered two accidental damage repairs over two years. Devices covered by this plan:
Service costs $99 for a damaged screen or enclosure, and $299 for any other damage. Two incidents are covered by insurance. AppleCare+ is available for the Pro Display XDR for a 3-year plan at $499. HomePodDevices covered by this plan:
Repairs will cost $39 for any HomePod incident or $15 for any HomePod mini incident, and the insurance will only cover two incidents. AppleCare+ is available for two years of coverage at $39 for the HomePod and $15 for the HomePod mini. Devices covered by this plan:
All repairs cost $29 for any damage to any model. AppleCare+ is available for all Apple and Beats by Dre headphones, covering two years at $29 for most models:
The only exception is the $549 AirPods Max, which costs $59 for two years of coverage. Devices covered by this plan:
Apple TV has a unique plan called the "AppleCare Protection Plan" at $39. There are no associated fees for repair because this isn't an insurance plan, but a warranty extension with better support options. Apple does not expect accidental damage to come to a TV box that doesn't need to be moved or touched at any time after installation. AppleCare is available for the current Apple TV 4 and Apple TV 4K. Apple's Self Service Repair Program gives users a chance to repair their own iPhones using certified parts and tools. Rather than take the broken device to an Apple Store or Authorized Service Provider, users can contact Apple to rent tools, order parts, and perform the repair at home. This program exists partially as a response to the Right to Repair movement that has been clamoring for Apple-sourced tools for home repair. While it has finally arrived in some part, it comes at a high cost and moderate risk. If you rent Apple's 80 pounds of equipment to repair an iPhone, it'll cost you only $50 but a $1,200 hold will be placed on your card in case of damage or failure to return. You get the tools for exactly one week with penalties applied for late returns. Apple says the parts are priced exactly the same as if an Apple Store were buying them. However, you'll need plenty of space and technical skill to perform the repair. Not to mention it'll take up your personal time and you risk breaking your device further. The Self Service Repair Program is a fair alternative for those who don't live near an Authorized Service Provider or tinkerers looking to self-repair. Though the cost of paying Apple to repair the device for you may be the cheaper, more simple option. The program is limited to iPhones for now with plans to expand into M-series Macs at a later date. Assuming Apple believes that you really are this unlucky, AppleCare+ could cover you for four screen repairs, four other damages, or four battery replacements. Or if you have AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss, it could cover you for four incidents of your iPhone being stolen. It's four incidents in total, whichever they are. So maybe you could smash the screen, break an internal connection, crack the housing, and then have it stolen. Unquestionably, Apple has calculated the costs, and it's also added up the odds. Apple knows just how many people buy AppleCare+, and it knows too how many of those ever make any claim on it. You need to make the same calculation, at least as far as you are able. Maybe you've never cracked an iPhone screen in all the years you've had one, or maybe you always break them. If you're the most prone to breaking screens, and you have a 2020 iPhone SE, then four repairs outside coverage would cost you $516. Four repairs with the standard AppleCare+ would add up to either $195 or $211.76, depending on whether you pay monthly or not. Four repairs on the iPhone SE screen under AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss would add up to $265 or $295.76. Taking just the one-off AppleCare+ cost, without theft and loss, gives a similar picture over all the eligible iPhones. Four screen repairs on the iPhone 11 would total $265, instead of an out-of-coverage total of $796. With the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini, four screen repairs under AppleCare+ would cost you the same $265, but without the coverage would be $916 for the iPhone 12, and $1,116 for the iPhone 12 mini. Four screen repairs on the iPhone 12 Pro would cost you $315 with cover, and $1,116 without. And for the iPhone 12 Pro, the total would be the same $315 with AppleCare+, but without it you'd be paying $1,316." If you never claim on AppleCare+, then it would appear to be wasted because you got no benefit from the fee. Equally, if you have one incident then under most circumstances, the total cost of repair is less if you have AppleCare+. That would mean that if you're likely to have more than two incidents of damage in the first two years after buying an iPhone, AppleCare+ is worth it. Of course, you can't really predict whether you're going to need AppleCare+ or not. But as well as meaning taking out AppleCare+ is a gamble, there is another side to it. Rather than thinking about the specifics of how many times you can get your screen repaired, for instance, you could think about the peace of mind. Having AppleCare+ does mean the hit you will take if something goes wrong is less. Then as well as the measurable benefits of repairs, AppleCare+ does include 24/7 technical support. You're perhaps going to have to want quite a lot of that to be worth the cost, but what you're paying for is the fact that it's available. That's the real benefit of AppleCare+ overall. Knowing this, and knowing how prone you are to accidents, means that AppleCare+ might make you less nervous about this expensive device you've bought. |