Yes, but after 1 year it's the seller's responsibility to fix and the seller can claim the defect did not exist at time of purchase, per
EU regulation.
Under the EU guarantee it is always the seller responsible for service claims, from day 1.
IIRC for defects the assumption is that it's caused by manufacturing if the problem arises within 6 months from purchase, after that it can switch to the consumer having to prove it, but I might be wrong and might differ depending on specific State Member legislation.
Also note that I'm not sure what happens under Apple's warranty in case they decide to dispute the defect being due to manufacturing: I assume the case would have to be decided by preponderance of evidence, so effectively the burden of proof would be on the consumer anyway.
Of course. My point was EU consumer law does not obligate the manufacturer to repair an item for 2 years under all circumstances, and it is the seller's, not the manufacturer's, responsiblity for repairs under the law.
That's absolutely true, but it's also the case for basically any guarantee/warranty.
The EU guarantee does not obligate repair as replacement or refund are also viable options, but Apple's warranty states exactly the same: Apple can decide not to repair but to replace or refund at their discretion.
Both coverages have their own clauses and exceptions, so filing a claim does not always equal obtaining service under either.
Some posters seem to think it means you automatically get 2 years from a manufacturer under EU law d something goes wrong; when there are caveats that mean you may or may not get repairs after a year if the selelr claims it is your fault.
Exactly. It's not a commercial warranty; which is why AppleCare has benefits beyond the EU protections, such as Apple doing the servicing and not having to send teh device to a seller if you did not purchase it locally.
That's true, many consumers overestimate how much is covered, but that again is often true in general. It's crucial to read the fine print to avoid surprises, from both the statutory and commercial coverages.