'AppleCare One' is Now Even More Valuable

[ignatius345]

The price increases on Apple devices is really disappointing, but the ridiculous increases on AppleCare+ are like a gut punch. I can see a lot less AppleCare being sold now.

Yes, in a world where paying directly for hardware repairs didn’t also get more expensive. What the article is pointing out is that for people who maintain AppleCare+ coverage on multiple devices, the AppleCare One bundle can deliver a small discount.

Inflation is running hot. It’s affecting literally everything in the world economy. If you’re going to rail against Apple, also rail against ExxonMobil, Nabisco, Ford and literally every other company out there that sells something that’s gotten more expensive.

And most especially in this situation, rail against the AI bubble that’s jacked up the price of much of the stuff that makes your devices work.

Or, ff it makes people feel better to vent, keep posting about how “Apple is greedy” I guess.

 

[AeroSatan]

No this subscription is useless, having using Apple devices for more than a decade and I never had problems with them... My family who also use Apple devices also never had any problems. 20 per month is 240 per year and 2400 in 10 years !

That's always easy to say when you get lucky. For the most part so have I, but then last week, my 14 inch M4 Max with 96GB of memory had some random logic board issue. What ended up in a 3 day TAT repair with no data lost would've set me back over $8k. Guess the Apple One subscription is now all House Money. One never knows.

 

[AeroSatan]

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.

I feel like the premiums for individuals with 1 or less claims in a span of a year or so should pa less in premiums than the people that break their equipment at all times.

 

[zenmacx]

No this subscription is useless

To the contrary, the subscription is incredibly valuable to the company that enjoys the revenue.

 

[Warped9]

Yes, in a world where paying directly for hardware repairs didn’t also get more expensive. What the article is pointing out is that for people who maintain AppleCare+ coverage on multiple devices, the AppleCare One bundle can deliver a small discount.

Inflation is running hot. It’s affecting literally everything in the world economy. If you’re going to rail against Apple, also rail against ExxonMobil, Nabisco, Ford and literally every other company out there that sells something that’s gotten more expensive.

And most especially in this situation, rail against the AI bubble that’s jacked up the price of much of the stuff that makes your devices work.

Or, ff it makes people feel better to vent, keep posting about how “Apple is greedy” and I guess enjoy yourself?

The point of my post was not to rail that "Apple is greedy." I meant to simply express disappointment that with the rise in prices for AppleCare on top of the increased prices for Apple devices. If Apple had maintained the previous AppleCare prices it would have softened the blow somewhat on the now more costly devices.

Believe I'm well aware of the two major blows to the world economy causing all this grief--a totally pointless war with Iran along with the arrant greed of the AI companies which are largely smoke-and-mirrors and not delivering anything near what was promised. I don't think cloud base LLMs are the future of AI--it's a massive scam.

 

[YankeeSR23]

I’ll probably jinx it by bragging but AppleCare One is a big help for me. When the Apple Vision Pro came out AppleCare for it was $24.99/month and foolish me forgot to get it. Then AppleCare One came out and for the monthly price I got that covered PLUS theft and loss on my 17 Pro Max and Ultra Watch 2 (which became 3). So for what normally would cost $39.97 combined I get it for $19.99. Basically I cover my AVP and then my iPhone and watch are covered for free.

 

[RickDEGH]

It’s a trap - get people to switch to that and then start squeezing them with price increases

 

[bushman4]

Bad timing on Apples part
AppleCare one is no bargain for the majority of the people
Basically what Apple is doing is raising all its services prices which is basically trying to make up for R&D

 

[ignatius345]

The point of my post was not to rail that "Apple is greedy." I meant to simply express disappointment that with the rise in prices for AppleCare on top of the increased prices for Apple devices. If Apple had maintained the previous AppleCare prices it would have softened the blow somewhat on the now more costly devices.

Would be great, but one has to assume the increased cost of... everything is baked into those AppleCare prices. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[MartiNZ]

It’s hard to say for back then, but I do in fact know that some parts were easily changeable like the battery in some, so idk how much those costed or some components… Don’t forget that things usually don’t happen by themself even if it’s possible, like it could be a drop or something… Anyways I’m sorry for your 2000s experiences…

For the Neo, make sure the case is good because some can damage the mac.

Yeah several models in the 2000s had lifetime battery replacement programmes and at least 2 had lifetime logic board replacement programmes. I had bad luck for sure, but things absolutely do just happen by themselves. Interestingly, the 2008 MacBook Pro was the only one that ever had a drop, and it was the least afflicted by issues lol. It had the battery thing, sure, but the battery was removable and just left a hole in the bottom of the device, and it still worked just fine, and was conveniently lighter! It was still going just fine when I e-wasted it around 2022 because I didn't need it anymore.

Of course 2008 was the last time they made them with removable batteries, with just that first unibody model having the accessible compartment for battery and RAM and thereafter we were not allowed to access anything. A sad thing to have lost really.

Oh and I would never put a case on a laptop. It just ruins the aesthetics, especially important with a mac! I would rather not with a phone, but my Galaxy Z Flip 6 is too delicate and too small to hold, so it is cased, and that results in small scratches on the front screen, so I fully understand what you mean about damage.

 

[pancakedrawer]

Aren't prices on electronics super-high in Australia? Sounds like that warranty isn't "free" after all...

A base MBP M5 is $2000 in the US. In Australia, the same model is A$3200 ($2233 USD). Looks like a $233 warranty to me! 🙂

Our tax (10%) is included so the prices are the same as the US.
Lack of consumer protections doesn't result in cheaper prices for consumers; it just adds to company profits.

 

[Apple_Robert]

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?

From what I have observed, theft and loss is the only option.

 

[alfonsog]

screw these subscriptions. constantly turning the screws on us. I am ready to nuke all my subscriptions

I just did. All of them about 2 months ago. Seem to have lots more free time too.

 

[loopy123]

It's a smoking deal if you have something like an iPhone , AirPods 3 and AW Ultra - these things can get lost/destroyed relatively easily. Maybe not so much for desktop Macs. They never break. I am starting to hover around 80-85% battery on my iPhone and Ultra - free battery replacements will be nice.

 

[pancakedrawer]

It remains.

I have a 14” MacBook Pro M1 Max from launch day (Oct 2021) and when I bought it I initially bought the 3-year AppleCare+ plan for it. It eventually expired and put my MacBook out of warranty, but then right before the 4-year mark, Apple announced AppleCare One, and my device was eligible to add it as long as I brought it in for a screening. It still has AppleCare One, and it’s going to be 5 years old in October.

I have four devices on my plan for $25/mo:
- 14” MacBook Pro
- iPhone Air
- iPad Pro 13” M4
- Apple Vision Pro

Given that before AppleCare One was a thing, AppleCare+ for the Apple Vision Pro was $24.99/mo by itself, and afterwards they dropped it to $19.99/mo by itself, so it makes sense to add a bunch of my devices to the plan for almost the same cost. I didn’t bother covering my Apple Watch or any other products.

Out of interest how many times have you used it?

 

[MikB]

No this subscription is useless, having using Apple devices for more than a decade and I never had problems with them... My family who also use Apple devices also never had any problems. 20 per month is 240 per year and 2400 in 10 years !

You may have misunderstood the point of having an insurance.

 

[LogicalApex]

Not really how insurance against accidental damage works and if you use your devices in field, and depend on them… there will always be a need for a product like Apple Care.

What really makes it a must though…. Is Apple’s forced economics.

iPad Pro 1TB… £1500 ish new. Out of warranty… no AppleCare … break a screen, £700 repair … only 90 days of warranty on that repair. “We recommend you buy a refurb for the same price” … sure, for a 128GB or base model. No genuine parts , no aftermarket decent repairs since there are no genuine parts available. Apple’s own repair process costs the same as the store repair, except risk you mess it up, still no coverage. How many times could one afford to get the screen fixed if they want 5 years using their iPad.

It’s a shame some good intentioned politicians around the world did put the right pressure on Apple to make right to repair work, and they basically complied but made it sort of useless and not fix the economics of repairing a device yourself or having it repaired properly.

But in Apple’s defence…. Yet to see any company in the world produced something as magic feeling as the M4 / M5 iPad Pro…. The thin / light / quality of the screen. It gets near defiance of physical. Feels like Jony Ive consulted on it lol

It depends on a few factors more than anything. How often you break devices and how hard it would be for you to pay for a new one. Otherwise, you won't likely come out ahead (which is why the plan is so profitable for Apple).

Apple Care One costs $240/y and a screen repair costs $30 or $100 for accidental damage that isn't considered a screen repair. $240 a year + deductibles really adds up fast. If you have 1 screen repair in 3 years of owning your device you'll have paid $750 for that screen replacement ($240/y * 3 years + $30 deductible). A repair that after all that will only get you a refurbished 3Y old iPad. That $750 would got a long way toward a newer model!

If you frequently break devices though, like you have young kids who find ways to break everything, then it can start to makes some economic sense. If you're getting a screen repair 3x or 4x a year or something.

 

[Lyrrad]

It's a smoking deal if you have something like an iPhone , AirPods 3 and AW Ultra - these things can get lost/destroyed relatively easily. Maybe not so much for desktop Macs. They never break. I am starting to hover around 80-85% battery on my iPhone and Ultra - free battery replacements will be nice.

AirPods/Apple Watch on AppleCare One may not be worth it, depending on your other covered devices. In the US, separately a Watch is $3-$6 a month, and AirPods 3 are $1.50/month.

AppleCare One is $20/month for 3 items, and $5.99 for each additional one.

You'd want to price out the individual AppleCare subscriptions to see if there are savings.

I usually don't buy AppleCare for AirPods/Watch.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Our tax (10%) is included so the prices are the same as the US.
Lack of consumer protections doesn't result in cheaper prices for consumers; it just adds to company profits.

I wish more people understood this (in bold) and reacted accordingly.

 

[deckard666]

No this subscription is useless, having using Apple devices for more than a decade and I never had problems with them... My family who also use Apple devices also never had any problems. 20 per month is 240 per year and 2400 in 10 years !

Yeah but everyone here knows Apple deliberately cripples old hardware right ?

 

[ZhenyaF]

Quick question, if the device becomes older than 4 years and it has AppleCare One on it, does it expire or remain.
I have it right now, but the oldest devices on it are from March 12, 2025.

it remains as long as you keep paying it (or at least thats how they've done applecare before)

 

[Shirasaki]

Damage or internal problems? Cause if for example you used no case or something then it’s normal.

A mix of both, which all ends up becoming device replacement or repair becoming so extensive that it is basically device replacement (MacBook repair).

 

[Shirasaki]

Here in Australia, consumer law covers smartphones for two years and computers for three. So AppleCare is mainly only useful for loss or damage, and even then you should compare with your household insurance options.

For me right now I can’t afford household insurance options and ACCC protection sometimes don’t cover my damage. I’m gonna stick to AppleCare for now.

 

[nickbatz]

Similar can be said about all sorts of insurance, especially if not used. I think most realize insurance/warranties can largely be a waste of money (if not used) but part of what they are buying is peace of mind. People are willing to pay a low(er) known cost to avoid risk of a potential high(er) cost/loss.

Not just all sorts of insurance, *every* type of insurance. Of course, and I'd go farther and say that you generally *hope* your insurance policies don't pay off, i.e. you want them to be a "waste of money!"

But from a purely dispassionate point of view, the golden rule of insurance is only to cover what you can't afford to pay out of pocket. Your house, your car, absolutely. And it makes sense if you have a lot of equipment that would leave you in trouble if it got stolen or whatever, whether it's expensive computer systems, musical instruments, or anything else - although an extended warranty is probably not the best way to cover that.

Look, if an extended warranty brings you peace of mind, then that's one thing. It's just that it doesn't make AppleCare a stronger bet.

By the way, I'm not at all convinced that most people do realize that.

 

[nickbatz]

Look, if an extended warranty brings you peace of mind, then that's one thing. It's just that it doesn't make AppleCare a stronger bet.

And here's my argument to myself: nickbatz, you are so ignorant. Do you not understand that insurance is sharing the risk, not just a single bet that you're making?

Response: Yes nickbatz, I do realize that. And besides, you're ugly. Talking about shared risk still doesn't change the odds of your single policy paying off, it just explains the bigger picture from the insurance company's point of view.