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Guide to AppleCare: Is it worth paying for?

Most Apple products come with a one-year limited warranty covering hardware faults and manufacturing defects, and free technical support for up to 90 days. Apple provides AppleCare+ or the AppleCare Insurance Package to expand the coverage further. Is AppleCare+ worth it with added initial expense, deductibles, and varying prices throughout the Apple product lineup?

Historically, consumers have had 30 to 60 days to trigger an AppleCare+ plan from the date of purchase, but in the U.S. and Canada, Apple recently expanded the window to one year. For several Apple devices, the expanded coverage can be enabled via the Settings app.

Depending on your territory, AppleCare + coverage varies slightly. For example, outside the United States and Japan, AppleCare+ with theft and loss coverage is not available. You should look into the exact terms of coverage in your country before buying AppleCare+.

Standard Warranty

A limited warranty, which is very popular for consumer electronic goods, is the regular warranty that comes free with your product. This warranty guarantees that for the Apple Watch Version, the product will operate as planned for up to a year, or two years. If anything fails drastically within that timeframe, and it is not the user 's fault, Apple will repair it free of charge.

This warranty is also extended automatically no matter where you purchase the product, and if the item is passed on within a year, it is transferable to a new owner. You simply need to give your proof of purchase to the customer to pass the warranty. Some restrictions apply, and depending on your country, the duration of the standard warranty can differ.

AppleCare and AppleCare+

Apple provides AppleCare service and maintenance programmes to provide extra coverage, beyond the regular one-year warranty.

Apple's extended warranty plan is known as AppleCare+ for most products, and offers up to two or three years of hardware coverage (depending on the product) as well as coverage for up to two cases of unintentional damage every 12 months (subject to service fees).

Originally, AppleCare did not cover accidental injury, but Apple has shifted most items over time to AppleCare+ eligibility to include the additional coverage. Without accidental damage coverage, a limited number of items like Apple TV remain available for regular AppleCare only.

Standard Warranty

• Up to one year limited warranty (two years for the Apple Watch Edition)
• Covers hardware failures only
• Chat or phone help for 90 days from Apple

AppleCare+

• Up to two years' extended warranty (three years for Macs or Apple Displays)
• Covers hardware failures and up to two unintended damage accidents every 12 months, subject to service charges
• Priority access to Apple support by chat or phone
• Express replacement service
• Covers two incidents of theft or loss for an additional fee (available for the iPhone only)

AppleCare Features

AppleCare greatly expands and extends its remit to the traditional restricted warranties. AppleCare adds an extra two years of coverage for most Apple devices, such as the iPhone and iPad, and it adds an additional three years of coverage for Mac or Apple Displays. This increased period is one of AppleCare's key advantages. For the length of the coverage, AppleCare also expands phone and chat support and adds priority access.

Repairs

For the length of the cover, AppleCare covers the cost of any repairs that your computer will require, but only if it is the result of a hardware failure and not accidental damage.

The Express Replacement Service also qualifies for iPhones , iPads, and Apple Watches, allowing you to order and receive a replacement device before returning your original defective device for repair.

Accidental Damage

AppleCare+ protects up to two cases of unintended injury every 12 months, such as liquid damage or broken windows, as of September 2020, up from two incidents every 24 months earlier.

There is a fixed deduction for accidental injury accidents, depending on the form of damage and the system. This is meant to deter consumers from complaining about non-essential accidents.

While you do have to pay the deduction, with AppleCare+ the repair rates are typically much cheaper than with Apple for regular repairs. For starters, if the screen of your iPhone is broken, a replacement is only $29. If there is other damage to the iPhone besides the screen, the fee is $99. A screen replacement will cost up to $329 without a warranty. In this case, AppleCare+ dramatically reduces repair costs, and the process should be introduced with the Express Replacement Service.

Loss or Theft

AppleCare+ provides failure or theft compensation, which helps you, if appropriate, to get a replacement unit. For this form of coverage, however, there is an extra charge on top of the standard AppleCare+ price, in a bundle called "AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss." AppleCare+ with theft and loss cover adds up to $100 to AppleCare+ 's price, and the plan is only available for the iPhone.

AppleCare+ offers coverage for loss or theft, which allows you to get a new device, if necessary. However, there is an additional fee on top of the regular AppleCare+ price for this type of coverage, in a package called 'AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss.' AppleCare+ with theft and loss cover adds up to $100 to the price of AppleCare+, and the plan is only available for the iPhone.

Availability and Pricing for AppleCare

On a number of devices, Apple provides AppleCare plans, and the plan 's cost varies depending on which device it covers. The more expensive the unit, the more AppleCare costs, generally.

• AppleCare+ for Mac, from $99 to $299
• AppleCare+ for Apple Display, $499
• AppleCare+ for iPad, from $69 to $129
• AppleCare+ for iPhone, from $129 to $199
• AppleCare+ for Apple Watch, from $49 to $149

• AppleCare+ for iPod, $59
• AppleCare+ for Headphones, $29
• AppleCare+ for HomePod, $39
• AppleCare Protection Plan for Apple TV, $39

Apple also provides AppleCare+ via a monthly recurring payment plan for iPhones , iPads, and Apple Watches in some countries, in addition to the regular one-time purchase option. Pricing varies depending on the cost of the computer for AppleCare+, but a plan of $199 will equate to $9.99 per month, and a plan of $299 will equate to $14.99 per month. Therefore, when paying annually, AppleCare+ is more expensive, but it does give flexibility to cancel it early or expand it beyond the standard coverage term.

Other Coverage Options

If you are considering AppleCare, insurance policies provided for your computer by other businesses could be worth investigating. Some banks, mobile phone service providers, and insurance plans for tenants and homeowners cover appliances. With your order, several third-party Apple retailers can also offer an extended service plan.

Device insurance plans that provide comparable or better coverage than AppleCare could be provided by other third-party warranty suppliers and insurance firms, so it is worth checking what policies are available in your jurisdiction for your Apple device. Many of these are also accessible via a monthly subscription and may beat AppleCare 's rate.

Is It Worth AppleCare?

It depends on how you use your Apple device, and how much risk and cost you are willing to take,whether or not you should buy AppleCare.

The argument shifts towards the inclusion of AppleCare+ if you are prone to dropping or damaging your computer. Similarly, extra coverage of loss and theft will depend on how likely you think you are to lose or have your computer stolen. Ultimately, with their smartphones, certain people are actually more reckless, and AppleCare+ is worth it for those individuals.

In general, the editors at MacRumors believe that because of the accidental damage coverage, AppleCare is worth having for Apple laptops that you expect to hold for more than one year, and iPhone, iPads, and Apple Watches. Typically, we don't see the need for Apple TVs and HomePods, and it becomes more of a personal judgement call for desktop Macs and displays.

Overall, AppleCare greatly decreases the burden and cost of fixing or replacing equipment for unintended harm and removes the cost of repairing hardware faults, but it is a noticeable additional compensation expenditure that also has some deductibles and claim restrictions. AppleCare is definitely not necessary, and the increased peace of mind can be worthwhile.