Applecare+ - what's the point

[mbob]

So I was thinking about Applecare+ today since I am still in the window to get it. Lets see, if I break my screen:

Applecare+ = $150 , $99 for service + $50 for incidental.

No Applecare+ =$199

I guess if you break more then 1 it starts to really pay off.

 

[aneftp]

So I was thinking about Applecare+ today since I am still in the window to get it. Lets see, if I break my screen:

Applecare+ = $150 , $99 for service + $50 for incidental.

No Applecare+ =$199

I guess if you break more then 1 it starts to really pay off.

Exactly. Makes even less since if you have credit card free one extra year warranty (assuming you don't physically break the phone).

I don't even keep my phones more than 12 months either.

To each their own for peace of mind. For most of us, not worth it.

 

[wordoflife]

I guess if you break more then 1 it starts to really pay off.

Well, no. You still save $50 on the first break. Then you save $200 on the second break.

 

[aneftp]

Well, no. You still save $50 on the first break. Then you save $200 on the second break.

Seriously. Unless you are totally reckless with your phone. The chances of two breakages with NORMAL use very slim. It would say more about the type of person who doesn't care about their electronic devices.

 

[mbob]

I still may get it. I transfer my phone to my wife when I get a new one. She is still on my launch 3GS now! We swapped it for a battery in it's Applecare so it may be worth it to get an extra year of regular warranty. I can garantee at least a battery replacement about 22 months from now.

 

[wordoflife]

Seriously. Unless you are totally reckless with your phone. The chances of two breakages with NORMAL use very slim. It would say more about the type of person who doesn't care about their electronic devices.

I know, but I'm just saying. I'm personally not going to be buying AC+.
Some people just buy extended warranties in case their home button acts up or something like that. Before that warranty was about $80 (with the option of replacing the device for $200) and now it's $100 (with the option to replace the device for $50) so it's not that bad.

 

[KPOM]

So I was thinking about Applecare+ today since I am still in the window to get it. Lets see, if I break my screen:

Applecare+ = $150 , $99 for service + $50 for incidental.

No Applecare+ =$199

I guess if you break more then 1 it starts to really pay off.

The replacement cost of the base iPhone is $649. The $199 upfront cost is because the carrier pays Apple a $450 subsidy in exchange for signing you to a 2 year contract, while Apple's support page says that the $199 repair excludes it.

True, you can get out of warranty repairs for $199, but I don't think that's all-inclusive. Broken glass, yes, but I believe AppleCare+ will cover "catastrophic" damage.

In any case, extended warranties are money makers for manufacturers. That's why they sell them. However, on something like a phone, it might be worth it, particularly for the accident-prone.

Here is the exact wording on AppleCare+

DH coverage only applies to operational or mechanical failure caused by an accident from handling that is the result of an unexpected and unintentional external event (e.g., drops and liquid contact) that arises from your normal daily usage of the Covered Equipment as intended for such Covered Equipment. ADH coverage does not include (a) protection against normal wear and tear, theft, misplacement, reckless, abusive, willful or intentional conduct associated with handling and use of the Covered Equipment, (b) protection against any other act or result not covered by the Plan, as described in Section 4.2 below, or (c) any resultant damage to the Covered Equipment that arises from one or more conditions described in Section 3.2(a) or (b).

Here are the limitations of Apple's Out-of-Warranty repair service:

Certain damage is ineligible for out-of-warranty service, including catastrophic damage, such as the device separating into multiple pieces, and inoperability caused by unauthorized modifications. However, an iPhone that has failed due to contact with liquid may be eligible for out-of-warranty service.

 

[aristobrat]

The replacement cost of the base iPhone is $649. The $199 upfront cost is because the carrier pays Apple a $450 subsidy in exchange for signing you to a 2 year contract.

If you physically damage your iPhone, Apple will replace it for an out-of-warranty price of $199. That process doesn't involve your carrier/subsidy.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

You're focusing only on the Plus part. You still get AppleCare (which was $69 by itself with the iPhone 4), which doubles your warranty for non-damage issues and gives you a year of tech support instead of 90 days.

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The replacement cost of the base iPhone is $649. The $199 upfront cost is because the carrier pays Apple a $450 subsidy in exchange for signing you to a 2 year contract.

Only if you lose it. As mentioned above, non-warranty repair is $199.

AppleCare+ doesn't help you with a lost phone, but carrier insurance can.

 

[szolr]

I guess if you break more then 1 it starts to really pay off.

^ You have answered your own question as to the only positive.

Now let me expand... Insurance is a scam. Period. People don't mind losing a few hundred or thousand pounds a year on insurance payments. But they're terrified about losing £50000 in one go if they don't have the insurance and something happens. So they let insurance companies squeeze them to get money bit by bit by bit. And one day something happens. Insurance pays up the £50000. You breathe a sigh of relief and neglect to notice that you've paid well over £200000 in insurance payments to that date. So you've lost.

Same principle with Applecare. It's just the figures are less. About 100 times less...

 

[jfulcher]

If you physically damage your iPhone, Apple will replace it for an out-of-warranty price of $199. That process doesn't involve your carrier/subsidy.

That's not a guarantee though - I've heard rumor that Apple is going to get more strick on OOW repairs. I.e. they are only going to let you do it if you are out of warranty and only for warranty issues - so dropping your phone wouldn't be a warranty issue. To me that was reason enough combined with the phone is covered for 2 years for warranty issues. You aren't paying $100 just for drop coverage.

 

[aristobrat]

That's not a guarantee though - I've heard rumor that Apple is going to get more strick on OOW repairs. I.e. they are only going to let you do it if you are out of warranty and only for warranty issues - so dropping your phone wouldn't be a warranty issue.

The rumor that's been going around publicly is that Geniuses aren't going to be allowed to give out all of the free OOW replacements, like they have been able to do in the past.

I've not seen anything that said paid OOW replacements won't be an option. Do you have any links?

 

[mbob]

Yeah I think the rumor is the freebie's are going away. The official support page at

http://support.apple.com/kb/index?page=servicefaq&geo=United_States&product=iphone

states $199 OOW

 

[SomeonePlzHelp]

AppleCare+ is great. Not only does it extend your normal service of 90 day over the phone help to 2 years, but you also have 2 years of coverage on the phone for anything that breaks due to Apple, i.e. ear piece stops working, or battery stops charging.
And not to mention the fact that the first time you drop your phone in a pool (not that you should plan on that of course), you can get it replaced for $49, as well as the second time you have an accident that you need to replace the phone, its only $49 again. So two phones for $49 each is not bad.

In my mind, it's well worth the $99. (Plus since its a service, you're not taxed on that $99)

 

[Pipper99]

I think that I've read in a previous discussion here that even the $199 OOW replacements are going away.

 

[.JahJahwarrior.]

I think I was taxed on Apple Care +, it come out to about $104....

I have never broken a phone, but I am sure it will happen. As a diver and caver, I spend a lot of time around water, on boats, or precarious banks around sinkholes and springs. I'm sure one day I'll take a wrong step and slip, or a wave will hit the boat the wrong way, and the iPhone will get wet.

Also, where I work, the ATT service is so bad that the phone drains all day long, leading to 2-3 charge cycles a day. I have a feeling the battery will start to show signs of wear before 2 years...

But for some people, it's not worth it. That's fine, the free market was designed to allow people to decide for themselves whether a service is good for them or not.

 

[MSM Hobbes]

AppleCare+ is great. Not only does it extend your normal service of 90 day over the phone help to 2 years, but you also have 2 years of coverage on the phone for anything that breaks due to Apple, i.e. ear piece stops working, or battery stops charging.
And not to mention the fact that the first time you drop your phone in a pool (not that you should plan on that of course), you can get it replaced for $49, as well as the second time you have an accident that you need to replace the phone, its only $49 again. So two phones for $49 each is not bad.

In my mind, it's well worth the $99. (Plus since its a service, you're not taxed on that $99)

And how is AC+ when compared to SquareTrade? Esp. if you already have ST on an iPad2 (since you supposedly get a discount)?

 

[ToddH]

It's supposed to be $50 for both breaks (that's what I was told), then after that it costs $199.00 for replacements. The warranty is still covered for an additional year past the manufactures warranty.

T

 

[Doctor Q]

You're focusing only on the Plus part. You still get AppleCare (which was $69 by itself with the iPhone 4), which doubles your warranty for non-damage issues and gives you a year of tech support instead of 90 days.

How often does an iPhone experience failed components outside of the original warranty period? I'll bet it's rare. If an iPhone is a lemon it'll presumably fail soon after you get it. I doubt many customers have their iPhone fail a long time later due to manufacturing defects. Yes you'd be covered if this happened, but I think it's a rare case so it's not of much value.

The useful part of the extra coverage is the protection from damage even if it's your fault, so that's the part to weight against the cost.

For me it isn't worth it. I've had one broken screen out of 2 phones for over 4 years, and it cost me less than the AppleCare cost to replace it. For people who want peace of mind or whose phones are in more danger, it can be worthwhile.

 

[CBR900RR]

That's exactly what I think

Exactly. Makes even less since if you have credit card free one extra year warranty (assuming you don't physically break the phone).

I don't even keep my phones more than 12 months either.

To each their own for peace of mind. For most of us, not worth it.

That is another reason why I didn't get the AC+, because the ip4 and ip4s battery are so easy to change compare to the 2g-3g-3gs.

I still may get it. I transfer my phone to my wife when I get a new one. She is still on my launch 3GS now! We swapped it for a battery in it's Applecare so it may be worth it to get an extra year of regular warranty. I can garantee at least a battery replacement about 22 months from now.

 

[MrXiro]

Well, no. You still save $50 on the first break. Then you save $200 on the second break.

I've never broken any of my phones... beyond manufacturer covered defects... touch screen stops working all of a sudden, dead phones etc...

You have got to be a klutz of epic proportions to break your phone not just once but twice within 2 years.

I also have my phone covered by my AMEX for double the standard Apple warranty.


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That's not a guarantee though - I've heard rumor that Apple is going to get more strick on OOW repairs. I.e. they are only going to let you do it if you are out of warranty and only for warranty issues - so dropping your phone wouldn't be a warranty issue. To me that was reason enough combined with the phone is covered for 2 years for warranty issues. You aren't paying $100 just for drop coverage.

Did you hear it from the sister of your wife's cousin's husband who worked at an Apple store in 2009?

 

[mpossoff]

You're paying for hardware issue aside from drop coverage.

 

[NickAndopolis]

How are you able to get a brand new phone for $199 if you accidentally break your carrier subsidized phone? Wasn't it made clear that Apple is no longer doing these $199 replacements? That is the sole reason I purchased Applecare+. I didn't think 2 drops and potential screen shattering in 2 years was that unlikely given the amount of daily use but now you guys have me questioning myself. I'm honestly more worried about people bumping into me and knocking my phone out of my hands than clumsiness. Sorry for the neurotic post but I'm suddenly having a bit of buyers remorse.

 

[gdeputy]

Frankly it's worth it just for water damage.

If you had water damage it was never a 200$ fix it was a scrapped phone and 650 for a new one.

Apple tended to replace shattered screens for 199$

99$ + 49 for a replacement up to 2x is a pretty good deal IMHO.

Worth it for piece of mind alone plus it ups resale value.

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I've never broken any of my phones... beyond manufacturer covered defects... touch screen stops working all of a sudden, dead phones etc...

You have got to be a klutz of epic proportions to break your phone not just once but twice within 2 years.

I also have my phone covered by my AMEX for double the standard Apple warranty.


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Did you hear it from the sister of your wife's cousin's husband who worked at an Apple store in 2009?

I broke my iPhone 4 just a week ago before I purchased my 4s. First break in 3 years but certainly not a klutz in any way,

 

[MrXiro]

How are you able to get a brand new phone for $199 if you accidentally break your carrier subsidized phone? Wasn't it made clear that Apple is no longer doing these $199 replacements? That is the sole reason I purchased Applecare+. I didn't think 2 drops and potential screen shattering in 2 years was that unlikely given the amount of daily use but now you guys have me questioning myself. I'm honestly more worried about people bumping into me and knocking my phone out of my hands than clumsiness. Sorry for the neurotic post but I'm suddenly having a bit of buyers remorse.

If you're so worried you could always put one of those bulky tank like cases on your iPhone. Otterbox makes 2 I think.

I'll rock my phone naked and never break it.