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DARKiLLUSiON

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 21, 2007
328
25
Toronto, Canada
Hey guys so I just picked up my first Apple Watch in aluminum and been wondering if having AppleCare+ worth it or not. What's everyone thoughts on it?
 
obviously it makes apple a lot of money. so that should tell you everything you need to know. all extended warranties work the same way. so if you plan on really pushing a device hard it could be worth it, also if a device is a new design there are classically more issues. also there's the ephemeral question of your own karma with electronics. some people just seem to have the worst luck. one problem when you ask about this in forums is you often get people who have had some major repairs and without ac they would be sunk. the person who paid ac and never had any issues isn't going to post, but they are far and away the majority otherwise this would not be a viable business for apple.
 
Thank you for the input! I had the iPhone X for 5 years and good thing I had AC for that because the amount of times I had issues with it was a lot so I think I'm going to get AC for the Apple Watch based off my experience with my iPhone X..also recently picked up the iPhone 14 Pro with AC without any stress that could comes with it. Thank you again
 
If your home insurance can cover it, don't need to buy AC+. I bought AC+ for my 12PM almost 2 years ago. But my son's 12 didn't have it. As my insurance had a great coverage, it costed me only $25 to replace son's iPhone with a new one last year.

I bought a AW ultra 2 months ago. As dropping a watch is less likely than a phone, I have decided not to purchase AC+. I didn't have it for my AW6 either.

Check with your insurance company if they have any package which covers accidental damages.
 
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I switched to Apple in 2016 and purchased too many devices to recall without looking. Just in 2022 alone I bought two iPhones, four Apple Watches and a MacBook Air. I have purchased AC on every device. However, I have never used it, not even once. But I will continue to get it. The first time I don't, you know what would happen. ;)
 
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I have the opposing viewpoint. I seldom get Applecare and am way ahead (like by almost $2000). The few times I have bought AppleCare I have regretted it (waste of money, not used).
Unlike most people, I do not suffer from Loss Aversion (or apparently not as much):
 
I think it's entirely worth it. I had a Series 6 that I put AppleCare on...and last month, the ECG sensor went out. No damage at all to the device...could have passed as a new Watch...ECG sensor on the crown just quit working. Sent it to Apple, and they said it's extremely rare for that part to fail, and the Apple senior repair tech even said he was surprised!

The replacement was free...and the bonus is, I have 100% battery health as it's a new watch!
 
I missed the date to get it and ended up not getting it. I have regrets. I am clumsy and my watches don’t usually do well. I would not be at all surprised if I ended up smashing it into a wall or something, breaking the glass. Oh well. Missed opportunities.
 
I missed the date to get it and ended up not getting it. I have regrets. I am clumsy and my watches don’t usually do well. I would not be at all surprised if I ended up smashing it into a wall or something, breaking the glass. Oh well. Missed opportunities.
Look at it this way: you are already up $148. ($79 AC+ not paid, plus $69 damage repair service fee not paid).
 
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I personally never get it, but that's probably because I only keep my devices for 2 years max and then upgrade... So i'm probably not a good gauge. The way I see it, Apple makes a ton of money on this so it's not beneficial to the customer at the end of the day... Sure there are many cases where it's saved someone from spending a ton to get a device replaced.. But I'm willing to bet that the majority of the time its a waste for the consumer and a huge cash cow for Apple.... At the end of the day you have to decide based on your personal use case and history with devices if its worth it for you personally.
 
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I agree with the common theme here. It's a personal choice. For me, the pro (of pros/cons) would be:
  • AI watch screen could crack in unusual but possible circumstances. It's not sapphire (still) to my recollection. That may have changed with a recent updates.
  • The battery can degrade or swell. Lithium Batteries are far from perfected at this time.
  • You get better service at the Apple Store if you have an overall issue with AppleCare. To be fair my service at the Apple Store has been top overall.
I'm on my 3rd Apple Watch. I would've used the AC on the 2nd one (if this year's upgrade to an Ultra wasn't so compelling.) I was receiving a replace battery message on the battery health screen.
 
FWIW, if it's your first watch & you're unsure, I'd say get it. It's cheap insurance when you don't know how the watch will work for you. Some people scratch theirs like crazy. Others (like myself) never have an issue with the glass screens. When I got my first watch, I bought AppleCare. I never had to use it, but I got comfort from the fact that it protected me should something go wrong.

When I bought my second watch, I didn't buy the apple care, as I know that for my situation, it wasn't really necessary, but I didn't know that when I bought the first.
 
With the money you could’ve saved it would’ve covered a new device let alone fixing it
I switched to Apple in 2016 and purchased too many devices to recall without looking. Just in 2022 alone I bought two iPhones, four Apple Watches and a MacBook Air. I have purchased AC on every device. However, I have never used it, not even once. But I will continue to get it. The first time I don't, you know what would happen. ;)
 
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Judging by the number of people here willing to give away their money for an extended warranty, I think I should get in the business. Maybe I will set up a robocaller...
 

Yes, yes yes.​


It will give you the HUGE peace of mind of having a cheaper or free repair if you accidentally break your device.

A MacBook repair I had last September would have cost me $428 (Not including tax) for such a simple repair. It was free since I had AppleCare+. (In comparison, The Mac Apple Care is $199 for the M1 Air)
1675659863824.png
 
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I look at any extended warranty like this - if I can easily replace the device without any financial heartache, I'll pass.
 
It is worth it if you damage your watch

It is a complete waste of money if you don’t damage it.

It is like gambling, it is called insurance.
 
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In terms of having an accident, regular yes, ultra no (have u seen the hammer vid? Lol).
Any technical prob will most likely show up in the first year, I would say a lot of people replace in year two anyway so…
 
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