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All iPads Apple Care yes or not?
- Thread starter iThinkurBeats
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I have never gotten Apple Care for any of the iPads I’ve owned, and I’ve been buying them since the very first iPad in 2010. Unlike an iPhone, I have never dropped my iPad. Not once. It’s used at home mostly. On the couch. At a desk. In bed. And when I do bring it outside, it’s usually in a backpack in a case. I really don’t see the need for Apple Care. I am currently using a 2018 iPad Pro as my main content creation & media consumption device. In the 7 plus years I have used it, nothing has ever gone wrong with it.
I have an AppleCare+ for my M2 iPad Pro 11 and my current iPad Pro 13 M4. I did get my M2 replaced one, was totally worth it. It fell, didn't break the screen but dented the aluminum in a way that was so sharp that it would cut your finger. They agreed to replace it, because it was so sharp, it wouldn't be considered cosmetic anymore.
I have AppleCare on my iPad, but it’s part of the AppleCare One package. I cover my iPhone, iPad, and MacBook Air with it. While I have never had an issue with iPads and Macs, or recently iPhones, it is nice to have that in my back pocket in case something ever does happen. I’ve seen many posts on here and Reddit about someone breaking their device after the warranty period and being pretty much screwed. It’s like insurance - never notice it until you need it.
I like to keep the money in my back pocket, in case something ever does happen.
About $2,500 in avoided AppleCare fees in my back pocket, so far. (Accumulated over about 12 years).
Invested in the stock market (e.g. AAPL or S&P500) that has grown to about $5,000.
It generally pays off in the long run to take some risk.
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I purchased it with the M4 iPad Pro for one big reason. It will cover the Magic Keyboard ($300+) as well. And the deductible for the keyboard is only $29. Thankfully, I have yet to use it, but if I figure with the $1300 expense, the $135 (business-discounted AppleCare+) is around 10% which is usually the bar for me even considering any insurance/warranty services. Needs to be at or below 10% of the item's cost.
Generally, it comes down to how clumsy you are and whether you can easily pay out of pocket for a replacement or repair. Oh, and if you have kids, that may be a pretty big factor.
Oh, and if a big class of water/soda happens to hit my magic keyboard in the 23rd month of coverage.... well, that would be a darn shame.... or would it??????
Generally, it comes down to how clumsy you are and whether you can easily pay out of pocket for a replacement or repair. Oh, and if you have kids, that may be a pretty big factor.
Oh, and if a big class of water/soda happens to hit my magic keyboard in the 23rd month of coverage.... well, that would be a darn shame.... or would it??????
$2,500 over 12 years? I think I’d rather have the peace of mind over that. I contribute heavily to my TSP, have an emergency fund in a HYSA, and dabble in stocks and precious metals. I don’t worry about $20 a month or what I would have to pay if I dropped my expensive devices
I never have. Two points:
1). No company, Apple, another computer manufacturer, an auto or lawnmower manufacturer, will offer an extended warranty if they’ll lose money over the long run. And their analytics are much more detailed than ours. However:
2). There are times/situations (clumsiness, kids as mentioned above) or economic situation (think, a college student with all her notes on a single iPad) where having that insurance is priceless in their current status. I’m a retired engineer and could replace all my AppleShuff if a robber/fire/meteorite took out my stuff; couldn’t do so as a college student.
1). No company, Apple, another computer manufacturer, an auto or lawnmower manufacturer, will offer an extended warranty if they’ll lose money over the long run. And their analytics are much more detailed than ours. However:
2). There are times/situations (clumsiness, kids as mentioned above) or economic situation (think, a college student with all her notes on a single iPad) where having that insurance is priceless in their current status. I’m a retired engineer and could replace all my AppleShuff if a robber/fire/meteorite took out my stuff; couldn’t do so as a college student.
Nope, never. Out of the dozens of Apple devices eligible for AppleCare that I've owned over the years, I've never purchased AC. In all that time, there has never been an incident where I could've used it.
My adult daughter on the other hand, regularly drops her devices and has made good use of AC coverage.
Never. Warranties are a scam.
If you pile up all the money you've spent on warranties, you could easily replace an iphone. I never pay for any additional coverage on anything.
If you pile up all the money you've spent on warranties, you could easily replace an iphone. I never pay for any additional coverage on anything.
As many mentioned above, if you have clumsy or accident prone folks in your life it can be a real lifesaver. Otherwise, I've personally never had to use AppleCare beyond the one-year limited warranty period. Both times I've used it (original Intel MB & PB G4) were very early on and within the 1 year period.
As usual, richer people get the best deals. Poorer people get the worst deals, like being forced to buy insurance or extended warranties on goods because they can’t afford a loss. Not a criticism, just the way it is.
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It was great when I smashed my iPad Pro + MKB! They even did an express replacement for me, customer service was super quick and easy too. It's nice not having to spend over a grand to replace the things you break because you're clumsy.
I do for my phones and vision pro. So at that point Apple Care One made sense to me since AC+ for the vision pro is a solid $20 a month vs 20 a month for 3 devices.
It's a form of insurance and like all insurance it's expensive if you don't use it and cheap when you do.
They make money by aggregating all the payments in from the many and that should come to more than the payments out for the few.
For me, I am very much on the credit side. I had a macbook pro repaired 3 times on apple care, I've had 2 ipads replaced which had charging issues, one phone screen and one watch screen.
Whether you think it's worth it or not is entirely up to you and no one can decide for you.
They make money by aggregating all the payments in from the many and that should come to more than the payments out for the few.
For me, I am very much on the credit side. I had a macbook pro repaired 3 times on apple care, I've had 2 ipads replaced which had charging issues, one phone screen and one watch screen.
Whether you think it's worth it or not is entirely up to you and no one can decide for you.
Agree with the points about not paying for insurance generally, if you can afford to cover losses yourself, because on average over the long run the insurance companies win. So if you can “insure yourself” you win.
That said I find the AppleCare products particularly enticing due to it being offered by Apple themselves - it’s priced well because Apple can replace their own (high margin) products for cost of the of the bill of materials, whereas e.g. an automotive insurer would have to pay out the full retail price, or market rate for spares and repairs.
Heck it probably costs a normal insurer more in admin, claims negotiation, and supply chain management than it would cost for Apple to give every iPhone owner a new device for free 😂.
That said I find the AppleCare products particularly enticing due to it being offered by Apple themselves - it’s priced well because Apple can replace their own (high margin) products for cost of the of the bill of materials, whereas e.g. an automotive insurer would have to pay out the full retail price, or market rate for spares and repairs.
Heck it probably costs a normal insurer more in admin, claims negotiation, and supply chain management than it would cost for Apple to give every iPhone owner a new device for free 😂.
Good replies already. Will just add 2 additional things not yet mentioned:
- AC+ in my view is better than most company's extended warranties. It's direct-from-Apple (vs outsourced to a 3rd party). And Apple really takes care of its AC+ members - whereas it feels like every other extended warranty, the Company is trying to find a reason NOT to approve it, I feel Apple reps are trying to find a reason TO approve it. One of the downsides of getting an extended warranty anywhere else is you often forget that getting a claim approved isn't guaranteed. Apple still has great pro-customer attitudes to its AppleCare+ members. On its own, not a reason to get AC+, but I think it's a helpful point on-the-margin
- While I normally didn't get AC+ for iPads (as others have mentioned, I usually use it at home, in bed, on couch, unlikely to drop it - vs an iPhone that you take with you everywhere), I got it with my M4 11" iPad Pro, because it was the first year of a design-refresh. First time Apple did tandem-OLED with the screen, etc. Sometimes these first gen design-change models have issues that pop-up over time - all things equal, I liked having the AC+ on it in case it was found out later that there are issues (Eg. butterfly keyboards with the 2016 - 2019 MBP generation)
- AC+ in my view is better than most company's extended warranties. It's direct-from-Apple (vs outsourced to a 3rd party). And Apple really takes care of its AC+ members - whereas it feels like every other extended warranty, the Company is trying to find a reason NOT to approve it, I feel Apple reps are trying to find a reason TO approve it. One of the downsides of getting an extended warranty anywhere else is you often forget that getting a claim approved isn't guaranteed. Apple still has great pro-customer attitudes to its AppleCare+ members. On its own, not a reason to get AC+, but I think it's a helpful point on-the-margin
- While I normally didn't get AC+ for iPads (as others have mentioned, I usually use it at home, in bed, on couch, unlikely to drop it - vs an iPhone that you take with you everywhere), I got it with my M4 11" iPad Pro, because it was the first year of a design-refresh. First time Apple did tandem-OLED with the screen, etc. Sometimes these first gen design-change models have issues that pop-up over time - all things equal, I liked having the AC+ on it in case it was found out later that there are issues (Eg. butterfly keyboards with the 2016 - 2019 MBP generation)
If I was taking it out of the house most certainly I would get it, because of the nature of my former and future employment
Same here, regarding mostly home use. And when I take it to work as today for example it stays protected in multiple layers.
Semi-related I sure wish there were Apple Care or a better warranty for the $300+ “magic” keyboard case, which after only 1 year of use began to magically decompose at all the seams, mostly on the left side, exposing inner metal. Eh.
Back on topic to your question, as has been posted here at MR for decades, you just never know what you are going to need the insurance for, so if you use one particular device a lot, especially out and about, it’s maybe worth it to get the monthly payment for it (phone, watch, for example). and perhaps you’ll end up paying, as I too often have, for years and years and then only wish you still had it after you stopped the payments. Egh.
Edited to add: I just read about how Apple Care can be purchased for an ipad AND the magic keyboard, evidently. That’s pretty cool, however, based on experience it seems 50/50 at best whether they’d call my broken seams on the keyboard “cosmetic” damage and shrug it off and say it’s not covered or not, since they did that recently with the widespread S10 apple watch jet black paint coming off.
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I’m glad for you to have had positive experiences and treatment you describe. Sadly my experience has been the opposite, store “geniuses” are mostly stubborn and dismissive and do their best to find reasons to make up for whatever the issue is, to be NOT covered by apple care.
Ultimately, is Apple customer service and their AC+ plans better than many or most competitors? yes, possibly, but it’s still not very good.
Never had any issues with any of my iPads over the years. I think the chances of needing it are slim given the number of devices out there, unless you can't trust yourself not to damage it.