Thinking of getting the upcoming larger iMac when it’s released, in the past I’ve always had apple care for my iMacs. The new machines look like being more reliable and having less issues than the intel models. Do you think Apple Care would be worth getting on these?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple care for new Apple Silicon iMacs
- Thread starter ravinder08
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I'm genuinely curious as to how do you arrive at that conclusion? The iMac hasn't been out for reviewers to check out. No regular customers have had one in their possession so nobody has been able to give feedback.
You're gonna get mixed responses here about buying AppleCare Plus. The new iMacs have moving parts in them and the giant screen can still present problems over time with bad pixels or uniformity problems.
1) Self-insure by putting money aside for possible repair - If you can afford to buy a new Mac outright after damage, you don't really need AC+
2) Pay AC+ in full or monthly
3) Roll the purchase dice and hope you don't have to do anything
2) Pay AC+ in full or monthly
3) Roll the purchase dice and hope you don't have to do anything
I think personally I'll be more inclined to get AppleCare as these new M1 Macs are more integrated than ever, so probably difficult to repair.
My M1 Mini for the past 6 months tells me that it runs cooler, no fans to spin & break, and less volume inside = very little chance of repairs after 1 year standard warranty.
My rule:
Desktops (Mini, iMac, Pro) I never buy AppleCare.
My laptops & tablets I always buy AppleCare.
My rule:
Desktops (Mini, iMac, Pro) I never buy AppleCare.
My laptops & tablets I always buy AppleCare.
Normally I don't believe in these insurance plans and I always "self-insure" but given this is a first iteration (you never know) I did go ahead and purchase Apple Care+ on the new M1 iMac that is coming this Friday. It wasn't that much really, $169, so I went ahead and purchased.
#3 has worked for me for the last 20 years. Others have not been as fortunate. Recent hardware history regarding laptops at least suggests that I would buy AC+ on a new laptop. I would have to think about it on an iMac though.
Apple has made it harder (even for their own people) to repair the new Macs. I think it will get worse on the laptops and iPads.
Admittedly, I did buy AC+ for my M1 MBA since it was the first gen, and I didn't want to worry about Apple dragging their feet on a possible defect of some kind, even though I can readily buy another should something go wrong.
I agree about iMac. A person might have a little more room to do something.
Now that you can get AC+ for over 3 years, I'm not sure why anyone wouldn't.
AppleCare+ is a poor investment. Just like gambling: the odds are against you. Better to buy an Apple stock, and start making money off the people that buy AppleCare insurance.
After buying numerous Apple products over the last 10 years, so far I am ahead about $2,000 by not buying AppleCare.
The only people that are forced into buying AppleCare insurance are those that do not have the funds to afford to replace/repair their product in the unlikely event it fails after the normal warranty expires.
Which again, goes to show that the people who can afford things the least are the ones that land up paying the most for them. Like many of us that are forced to pay finance charges or mortgage interest because we do not have funds to pay for cars or houses.
After buying numerous Apple products over the last 10 years, so far I am ahead about $2,000 by not buying AppleCare.
The only people that are forced into buying AppleCare insurance are those that do not have the funds to afford to replace/repair their product in the unlikely event it fails after the normal warranty expires.
Which again, goes to show that the people who can afford things the least are the ones that land up paying the most for them. Like many of us that are forced to pay finance charges or mortgage interest because we do not have funds to pay for cars or houses.
Hmm. That's an interesting notion.
Ah but isn't that "Just Like Gambling"? 😉
So with your great history that guarantees you'll always be ahead by not buying AppleCare right? Hmm.
As a person who's been a dedicated Mac user for the past 25 years I've always been able to afford replacing my Macs when they've had issues, but why should I put forth the full amount for the same machine when I can spend 1/3 the cost on AppleCare and have Apple replace it?
Where are you getting this nonsense?
That is so farfetched. You can't compare buying a car or house to buying a Macintosh. Lordy the outrageous over-the-top examples people use here. SMH.
Both the M1 Mac mini and the M1 iMac have fans that spin and could break. iMacs are also a nightmare to repair because you have to take the screen off to access the internals. I might consider skipping Apple Care on a Mac mini because you could at least replace the fan yourself but never on an iMac.
However if the SSD fails on your M1 Mac, you will need a new motherboard which will certainly be expensive.
In my experience, my iPad pros (first gen to third) have been quite reliable. I hope the iMacs have similar build quality and last for many years.
In general I have made it a practice to purchase AppleCare for any devices which I take out of the house and carry around with me (iPhone, iPad, MBP) and when I purchased the 13" M1 MBP a few months ago that was no exception. Aside from that, though, the fact that this machine IS different, has new innards which are much more soldered together than those of previous models was another key reason to do this. To me it just seems like a prudent move.
Exactly, IF you have a credit card that extends the warranty. I honestly wish people would clarify the truth on these credit card warranties rather than just making it sound so cut n' dry. The fact that the warranty isn't really "extended". If that were true the customer could walk right into the Apple store and get repairs done for the extended time the credit card offers. The truth is the customer has to pay upfront first and file a claim to be reimbursed by the credit card company later. Furthermore not all credit card companies cover the full amount for repairs leaving the customer responsible for the difference.
Provided that the customer wants to buy through Costco. Provided that the customer has a Costco membership. Nice that you didn't mention that. Not everybody has a Costco membership or wants one.
Provided the customer wants to open up a Citi credit card account. Where are you getting these over-the-top ideas?
Oh that must be why Apple created the magnetic plug for the new iMac which happens to have an all glass front. Obviously the new iMac is very lightweight and can easily be knocked off the table causing screen damage.
I have had a Costco membership for over 20 years and use it 2x / month.
I also have the Citibank Costco Visa for the past 4 years since American Express was ditched.
The best part about Costco and Apple:
- Discount off Apple retail price = similar prices to EDU channel discounts.
- Costco Concierge program to double manufacturer's warranty = 2 years.
- Citibank Costco VISA doubles the Costco = 4 years all without paying the Apple Care!
- 4% rebate cash back from both Costco Executive & Citibank !
2 years of warranty in Europe so I'm skipping AppleCare. I bought it in the past but it's not really worth it, we already pay more Apple products due to increased warranty law, among other things (like 22% added value tax in Italy). An M1 iMac 16/512 it's close to 2700$ here.
Wow that's a lot of selling for Costco. Do you work there? That's really odd. Also let the credit card thing go. People conscious about their finances will not be willing to put inquiries on their credit by opening up revolving charge accounts just to get an "extended warranty" for their new Mac. That's why the nation/world is in such high debt. And while you were posting the benefits, you neglected to post the T&C about the warranty. I looked it up and just as I suspected the customer has to pay Apple upfront for the repairs and they may not have the money to do so. Recommending this is bad advice.
Anyways what you failed to mention is the WORST part about buying from Costco when it comes to the new iMac. There's only one color (blue) and you no BTO options so it's not ideal for many people.
I usually purchase AppleCare for my iMacs due to their cost and highly integrated construction. I've never actually needed to use it, however, other than the more convenient phone support. Still, it seemed like a reasonably-priced offering.
Seems to me that the new iMacs should be more reliable. Moving the power supply outside the main enclosure is huge in terms of minimizing heat load inside the case and makes for a very cheap and easy do-it-yourself repair in the event of a power supply failure. And the power supply is usually the most unreliable single component.
The lack of hard drives and having all RAM and storage soldered to the main board rather than connectorized also should minimize some failure modes and reduce the need for opening the enclosure for repair.
So when I buy my next iMac buying AppleCare might not be automatic.
Seems to me that the new iMacs should be more reliable. Moving the power supply outside the main enclosure is huge in terms of minimizing heat load inside the case and makes for a very cheap and easy do-it-yourself repair in the event of a power supply failure. And the power supply is usually the most unreliable single component.
The lack of hard drives and having all RAM and storage soldered to the main board rather than connectorized also should minimize some failure modes and reduce the need for opening the enclosure for repair.
So when I buy my next iMac buying AppleCare might not be automatic.
Well that explains how much more costly buying in Europe is - warranty by Apple is double that of the USA plus a hefty VAT.
I guess our 10% sales tax in Los Angeles is nothing to complain about...
Maybe he does, but I don't work there. Although I freely admit I'm a stock holder just like I am for a lot of the places and companies I like. I liked them (PriceClub!) long before I was a stock holder, not because I'm a stock holder.
People who understand finances know how to use the system to their advantage. Did you know there is such a thing as paying off your CC off every month??
I haven't paid a dime in interest in 30+ years and have been able to take advantage of cash back, airline miles (although no longer have any cards that do that), extended warranties, additional discounts from merchants, fraud protection, free rental car insurance, free credit reports, free annual spending reports etc from various cards I have had over the years.Also yes you have to pay upfront for repairs, however you have to put that on the same card anyway so you get a grace period and even if it takes longer to do the credit back most cards also credit back the interest on that portion.
Also yes, Costco is limited to standard configs. Which is why many of us complain when Apple under configures those configurations or makes some things like VESA mount a BTO option only. However you are incorrect about the color options. They do offer some other color options, however only the Blue is considered in stock currently. I'd prefer they just list them as out of stock, but instead they hide the other options. I know they were offering green and silver at least as I was trying to decide on those 3 for my parents.
Also BTW - if you did want AppleCare + you can get that too and usually at a discount (for example right now it is $134.99 vs 169 through Apple for the iMacs).
Haha, let's be real about it, most people don't pay it off every month which is why there is so much credit card debt in the world. 😁. And also a person's credit score can't build up if they pay off their debt every month. That's the sad truth about credit.
Yes understood, but the marketed advertising about "Doubling the Warranty" is 100% false and misleading. If the warranty is truly doubled then the customer can simply walk into Apple and get repairs done just as if they had the standard Apple warranty. Reimbursement for repairs is not "doubling the warranty". The misleading marketing is my problem with that.
Agreed. I would say that's one of the biggest benefits of buying from Costco is they are cheaper with the AppleCare Plus. No argument there. It's actually a good price vs. buying directly from Apple.
