In depth analysis: No coverage vs Applecare+ vs Squaretrade vs Carrier

ApplePhy said:

But don't these 3rd party shops replace the entire screen if it's cracked? And if so, how can you ensure its of the same quality Apple uses? These screens are incredibly thin, and engineered to be extremely discerning to the touch and to gestures.

What kind of screen quality are yiu getting from these other vendors???

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That part I don't know. I checked out his phone after they finished and it seem just like it was before. Didn't notice any difference.

You could also self insure. Put $X into a side account each month for 2 years.

JayLenochiniMac said:

You're still out $49 each year. $99 AC+ less $50. I also ebay my year-old 32 gigs yearly and consistently get $450 for them after I have at&t unlock the offed devices. I don't dispute you get more $$$ with AC+ but you're not quite recouping the cost of buying AC+ yearly.

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Agreed, but it does help if I drop the phone and crack the screen...

I miss State Farms plan that used to cover iPhones. It was $30/yr accidental/loss/theft. Too many claims, so they don't offer it for "I" devices anymore, but I have it for my MacBook Air and my Sony NEX 5 and lenses.

Dont know if it was mentioned but....

If you buy applecare for your iphone/mac AND you buy the phone at full price with an Amex; Amex will extend warranty it to a 3rd year.
Too bad amex wil NOT cover liquid damage, broken screens.. only stuff like a broken home button, volume button, lcd going bad (not shattered)

Thanks for the detailed breakdown!

This may sound like a monumentally dumb question but here goes.

You state that a damaged replacement for an out of warranty phone is only $270. So, say I leave it in a pocket and it goes through the wash, and it's dead beyond repair. Or it gets crushed/smashed. I only have to pay $270 to get a new one?

I always assumed you had to pay the non subsidized price to get a replacement.

Can someone confirm that?

grizzy said:

Thanks for the detailed breakdown!

This may sound like a monumentally dumb question but here goes.

You state that a damaged replacement for an out of warranty phone is only $270. So, say I leave it in a pocket and it goes through the wash, and it's dead beyond repair. Or it gets crushed/smashed. I only have to pay $270 to get a new one?

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This is correct except the OOW replacement prices are now $299 and $329 for the iPhone 6 and 6+, respectively.

The $270 is for iPhone 5s, 5c and 5. Older models are even cheaper at $199 or $149.

truth1ness said:

Only if the phone is stolen. As long as you have a broken up iPhone you get the lower replacement cost. You'll most likely be getting a refurbished one, which is part of the reason why it's less.

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JayLenochiniMac said:

This is correct except the OOW replacement prices are now $299 and $329 for the iPhone 6 and 6+, respectively.

The $270 is for iPhone 5s, 5c and 5. Older models are even cheaper at $199 or $149.

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Thanks guys!

For full-price iPhone: AppleCare+, SquareTrade, or nothing?

I'm not usually a purchaser of extended warranties, but since I paid full price for my 64 GB iPhone 6, I was thinking about adding one. Does it make sense to do so since I plunked down about $800 for a phone and if so, which option is better: AppleCare+ or SquareTrade?

If I paid the $300 subsidized price, I would not get the warranty, but since I have T-Mobile, I am thinking maybe.

How often have you broken your phone in the past? AppleCare is $99 plus $79 for every claim, which you get 2. Say you break your screen, without warranty, the first time it would cost you $109 for the 6 and $129 for the 6 Plus. You would need to break your screen twice to come out ahead. The odds of that are very slim. The third broken screen you pay either $109 or $129. Majority of Apple repairs are for broken screens. So it's highly unlikely you would ever get a full replacement phone unless you run it over. Squaretrade is about the same. I would say both are just as good if you want peace of mind. However, neither are any good if your phone is stolen.

AppleCare+. It's so easy to make exchanges and it's just a lot easier to deal with Apple reps than others.

Whether you pay full or subsidized price, this shouldn't change what insurance/coverage you get. Same price for replacements.

Economically, getting nothing is the smartest play, especially when considering screen cracking vs a full replacement.

SquareTrade is cheaper and almost as easy as AppleCare to use - pay for replacement, let ST know and they reimburse you.

AppleCare is the absolute easiest, but most expensive.

With SquareTrade, you call in the problem and go to the Apple store. If they charge you, SquareTrade reimburses you. I wouldn't go anywhere other than SquareTrade.

I'm not too familiar with ST, but I assume once ST replaces the phone (for water damage) the coverage ends, whereas with Applecare+ you get 2 chances.

Apple gave me a $100 discount for my Plus...i used it to get AC+.

ST has a plan for $5 a month which is easier to pay a month than the $99 I paid for AppleCare+ and better than the Verizon insurance

MsRandall said:

ST has a plan for $5 a month which is easier to pay a month than the $99 I paid for AppleCare+ and better than the Verizon insurance

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I kept the Verizon ins since it's the only ins that cover lost and theft. That's the main reason I stay with carrier ins. Would love to get ST or AppleCare but doesn't cover that

I get AppleCare+ for the convenience. With the increase in the cost and the deductible it isn't a very good choice cost-wise, but it guarantees minimal downtime.

Teddysjam said:

I kept the Verizon ins since it's the only ins that cover lost and theft. That's the main reason I stay with carrier ins. Would love to get ST or AppleCare but doesn't cover that

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Exactly. Nobody here seems to worry about loss or theft for some reason. Not including it in ST or AppleCare+ is a glaring omission, which is why I went with Verizon's TEP.

Friend dunked his phone in the pool a month ago just so he could get a (refurbished?) 5s replacement for $79 since he wasn't happy with scuffs and scratches on his 5s with AC+.

I suggest securranty.com... I used them once last year for a broken screen, and they reimbursed the costs of repair from the Apple store, with NO deductibles.

SundayDuffer said:

Apple gave me a $100 discount for my Plus...i used it to get AC+.

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How you get a discount?

doboy said:

How you get a discount?

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Called apple and asked about my phone status...this was about a week ago...he just flat out gave me a discount...i was surprised.