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'AppleCare One' is Now Even More Valuable
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SiXiam
macrumors member
There was another thread where it talked about how many times people drop their phones. Some people rarely drop their phone (like twice a year) and others are dropping it seemingly every other week. The later should certainly be paying for AppleCare! The former a case and screen protector is good enough.
BugeyeSTI
macrumors 604
Just curious, can you still add AppleCare+ without theft/loss when you get a new device or is AppleCare+with theft/loss the only option now?
Since 2002, I've spent less than £2000 on repairs at Apple Stores, including new batteries for phones, iPads and laptops. That includes 4 phone batteries, 2 iPad batteries, and one MBP battery. Also a new logic board for one Mac.
AppleCare One at £20 per month over that time would be £5,760.
Apple knows the failure rates on their hardware: they don't run AppleCare at a loss to themselves.
AppleCare One at £20 per month over that time would be £5,760.
Apple knows the failure rates on their hardware: they don't run AppleCare at a loss to themselves.
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I sell tech and along with that offer extended warranties. AppleCare is an extended warranty. It’s a good one and better than pretty much any other extended warranty I’ve come across. A key difference is AppleCare is time based rather than incident based. Many extended warranties lapse the moment you invoke the warranty to replace your device. Your device may be replaced, but the original warranty is often now voided or closed. In other words if you want an extended warranty on your replaced device you have to purchase it. AppleCare doesn’t work that way. If Apple has to replace under AppleCare the warranty is transferred to your replacement device.
But the psychology behind purchasing warranties is interesting. Most if not all of us have been told to stay away from extended warranties, that we’re just throwing our money away. Add to this is, understandably, we all want to pay out as little money as possible in our purchases. To that we often lean to being optimistic that we’ll be fine and we can’t justify any additional expense. Besides we believe things will go wrong once the warranty expires anyway.
Even when people have issues such as their previous device breaking down or being damaged accidentally within the first few years they are often inclined to still pass on buying added protection for their new replacement device. They rationalize what happened was a fluke and it’s not likely to happen again. I’ve seen this happen with people buying cheap unlocked phones repeatedly because they keep breaking them yet they still refuse any added protection and prefer paying the full cost of a replacement phone over and over again. I’ve seen people replacing damaged or failing computers only a few years old and they won’t invest in a battery backup let alone added protection for their new device.
Now add into the mix that most of our devices work as advertised after we buy them. Consequently when something doesn’t work and is defective in some way we can get really annoyed as if we’ve been knowingly cheated in some way. But electronics are complex constructs and they are made by people so it’s inevitable that some of them will fail and/or get damaged. And when it happens anyone will ask, “Why me?”
Furthermore, if something goes wrong with an electronic device after 4-5 years or so we might be inclined to shrug and think, “Oh, well. Bummer, but nothing lasts forever.” But if something goes south within the first few years we’re more inclined to get upset thinking, ”Seriously? WTF, I just bought this thing and it wasn’t cheap either!”
Another barrier or objection to buying extended protection is cost relative to the price of the device otself And I feel thats a fair objection. If the added warranty cost is too high relative to the purchase price of the item very few people will opt for it.
Getting back to Apple more specifically. Until the recent price increase an A16 iPad in Canada was $499 and 2-year AppleCare+ was an additional $89 (up from $79 about a year ago). Most people still didn’t get AppleCare, but it wasn’t that hard a sell. But now that same iPad is $649 (ouch!) and AppleCare for it is now $109. Yes, it’s only twenty bucks, but crossing that $100 line is likely to play psychologically so that even more people will refuse to opt for it. Particularly in a time when everyone is watching what they spend even more than usual. Same with the MacBook Neo. When it was $799 CA and 3-year AppleCare for it was $179 it came across as a decent value. But now the Neo is $949 CA and AppleCare for it is $209. Crossing that $200 line will turn more people off and dissuade them from getting added protection for a device many of them will carry with them everywhere and be at greater risk of being damaged in some way unlike if it was just sitting st home on a desk pretty much all the time.
Thats why I think fewer people than before will now opt for AppleCare.
But the psychology behind purchasing warranties is interesting. Most if not all of us have been told to stay away from extended warranties, that we’re just throwing our money away. Add to this is, understandably, we all want to pay out as little money as possible in our purchases. To that we often lean to being optimistic that we’ll be fine and we can’t justify any additional expense. Besides we believe things will go wrong once the warranty expires anyway.
Even when people have issues such as their previous device breaking down or being damaged accidentally within the first few years they are often inclined to still pass on buying added protection for their new replacement device. They rationalize what happened was a fluke and it’s not likely to happen again. I’ve seen this happen with people buying cheap unlocked phones repeatedly because they keep breaking them yet they still refuse any added protection and prefer paying the full cost of a replacement phone over and over again. I’ve seen people replacing damaged or failing computers only a few years old and they won’t invest in a battery backup let alone added protection for their new device.
Now add into the mix that most of our devices work as advertised after we buy them. Consequently when something doesn’t work and is defective in some way we can get really annoyed as if we’ve been knowingly cheated in some way. But electronics are complex constructs and they are made by people so it’s inevitable that some of them will fail and/or get damaged. And when it happens anyone will ask, “Why me?”
Furthermore, if something goes wrong with an electronic device after 4-5 years or so we might be inclined to shrug and think, “Oh, well. Bummer, but nothing lasts forever.” But if something goes south within the first few years we’re more inclined to get upset thinking, ”Seriously? WTF, I just bought this thing and it wasn’t cheap either!”
Another barrier or objection to buying extended protection is cost relative to the price of the device otself And I feel thats a fair objection. If the added warranty cost is too high relative to the purchase price of the item very few people will opt for it.
Getting back to Apple more specifically. Until the recent price increase an A16 iPad in Canada was $499 and 2-year AppleCare+ was an additional $89 (up from $79 about a year ago). Most people still didn’t get AppleCare, but it wasn’t that hard a sell. But now that same iPad is $649 (ouch!) and AppleCare for it is now $109. Yes, it’s only twenty bucks, but crossing that $100 line is likely to play psychologically so that even more people will refuse to opt for it. Particularly in a time when everyone is watching what they spend even more than usual. Same with the MacBook Neo. When it was $799 CA and 3-year AppleCare for it was $179 it came across as a decent value. But now the Neo is $949 CA and AppleCare for it is $209. Crossing that $200 line will turn more people off and dissuade them from getting added protection for a device many of them will carry with them everywhere and be at greater risk of being damaged in some way unlike if it was just sitting st home on a desk pretty much all the time.
Thats why I think fewer people than before will now opt for AppleCare.
This may be helpful to someone... I had this coverage. I live in the US, went on vacation to Central America, phone stolen, police report obtained, returned to the US, Apple refused to honor the coverage since the theft occurred outside of the US.
mazz0
macrumors 68040
We don’t need it. Perhaps it makes sense in the US where the statutory warranty is less, but even there I doubt this is good value. Most plans like this are a waste of money. The NYT did an interesting analysis on it recently: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/are-extended-warranties-worth-it/
100%! We are a family full of Apple devices, and we never had an Apple product fail outside of the one-year warranty (AirPods are the only ones that have failed, but it’s always in the first few months) and had one iPhone’s screen crack from a pavement fall. I use my iPhones without a case, too. The money I have saved over the years by not paying for this can easily buy a new device if something were to happen. And AppleCare requires a deductible. So for one month’s AppleCare payment and a deductible, you can get your device fixed at an independent repair shop if need arises.
Great if you have all those. Would be great for me if i could have all my kids devices with it but it only allows your own apple id. So i have to pay for those devices individually… with my apple id. 🙄
Astuces iOS
macrumors 68030
Yeah, I remember a funny problem, a pair of EarPods (the ones with cable) stopped working after like 12 years lol... For people with AirPods for example, it's cheaper to just save your money !
Another condition is that it has to be under the same Apple account.
While the monthly and annual prices of AppleCare+ plans for Macs and iPads received a slight increase this week, AppleCare One continues to start at $19.99 per month in the U.S., making the multi-device plan even more valuable.
Launched in July 2025, AppleCare One allows you to cover up to three devices as part of a single subscription for $19.99 per month, and additional devices can be added for $5.99 each. AppleCare One offers repairs for accidental damage, 24/7 priority tech support, and theft and loss protection for the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.
If you have an iPhone 17 Pro, a MacBook Air with an M5 chip, and an iPad mini with an A17 Pro chip, for example, AppleCare+ plans with theft and loss coverage where applicable can cost up to $26.97 per month for those devices in total. As mentioned, AppleCare One still costs $19.99 per month, so you can save $6.98 per month in this scenario.
Notably, you can add Apple devices that you already own to an AppleCare One plan, so long as they are in good condition and less than four years old. A diagnostic check and/or inspection may be required to verify a device's condition.
AppleCare One remains available in the U.S. only.
Article Link: 'AppleCare One' is Now Even More Valuable
Astuces iOS
macrumors 68030
Those that work in construction can use cases or be more careful I guess... Too bad if you don't take care of your things, but if you do, you should not have any problems and you can save your money.
Btw, I have on some devices a little crack or even a battery that is under 80%, I mean I can live with that... it's not a huge problem... And 1 year of apple care is more than a battery !
k1121j
macrumors 68020
Kriss_De_Valnor
macrumors regular
TruthAboveAllElse
macrumors 6502a
I was searching around for a comparison of AppleCare+ as a one time purchase at time of device purchase, vs the subscription. (Which I think is the same thing you are asking?) I wasn’t finding anything. Macrumors should do an article with a comparison matrix.
LogicalApex
macrumors 68000
Once Apple gets enough people on this plan, they'll raise it to $24.99 and then $29.99 and so on. Just like my Netflix subscription. Easy pass.
this guy 🤦🏻♂️
so you assume that because parts in your devices havent failed, that means they dont fail anywhere?
news flash. they do.
I’ve assumed it will last at least until it goes Vintage, and perhaps Obsolete (5 and 7 years after they stop selling it directly). Presumably if they don’t have parts, they’ll replace it with any model available with better features.
I liked AppleCare one since it added theft and loss for iPads at a cheaper price, and I feel more comfortable using my phone without a case, even if I haven’t broken a phone screen in almost 20 years.
In the US it looks like it is required. You can still buy AppleCare+ in a country without Theft and Loss coverage like Canada.
Is this true? I didn’t see this exclusion when I examined the terms and conditions of my US plan. If I was refused coverage, I would escalate and possibly complain to the state insurance regulator for the insurer that actually provides the coverage.
Apple Care One would be extremely valuable if it was offered on the upcoming iPhone Ultra but I don't see that happening.
ThisIsMike
macrumors 6502
TruthAboveAllElse
macrumors 6502a
That's unusual as it does cover theft or loss when outside the U.S. Did you have "Find My" enabled at the time?
AppleCare Theft and Loss Coverage for iPhone - Official Apple Support
Is your iPhone lost or stolen? If you have AppleCare Theft and Loss coverage, you can file a claim for an iPhone replacement.
support.apple.com