AppleCare or no AppleCare: that is the question

[whitby]

The problem is always catastrophic failures after the 1 year of standard coverage has elapsed. I have had 3 iMacs have motherboard failures after the 1 year standard coverage period had elapsed and AC has covered the cost (year 2 and 3 failures).

For mobile devices (e.g. iPhones, iPads, MacBooks) I think AC is essential, but for desktops or stationary devices that cost less than around $1200 I would not bother. For stationary devices above that values , AC is a fairly low cost insurance against catastrophic failure. AC for most desktops is a lot less per $ paid than for mobile devices, for good reason obviously. So, for example, for an Apple TV or base M4 Mac Mini, I would not buy AC, but for my M4 Pro Mac Mini with 64GB memory and 2TB SSD I paid the $4.99 per month asking price. I buy it for all my mobile devices.

 

[throAU]

Applecare+ also gives you some cover for accidental damage.

 

[WebHead]

Here in Australia, Apple is required by law to rectify defects in iPhones for two years and Macs for three. The consumer watchdog took them to court to compel them to make this clear to customers.

So in AU at least it becomes a question of only covering loss or accidental damage. It boils down to whether AC is competitive with other insurance (in my case I just added our iPhones to our home and contents insurance as "away from home" items).

 

[jlc1978]

Here in Australia, Apple is required by law to rectify defects in iPhones for two years and Macs for three. The consumer watchdog took them to court to compel them to make this clear to customers.

So in AU at least it becomes a question of only covering loss or accidental damage. It boils down to whether AC is competitive with other insurance (in my case I just added our iPhones to our home and contents insurance as "away from home" items).

While I agree they generally benefit the consumer; I've found they often contain caveats that limit them as well. For example, putting the onus on the consumer to prove the defect likely caused the problem. A manufacturer could, for example, claim that 3rd party apps are causing battery issues and thus it is not a defect they must fix.