Replacing a Pair of AirPods Pro Costs $178, or $29 With AppleCare+

[newyorksole]

People are actually insuring a $200 item? That's the real news item here.

It’s a $250 item first of all. Second of all, uhh why not? $29 is slightly above 10% of the AirPods Pro cost. Unlimited free replacements if there’s no physical damage and the AirPods Pro or Case are actually not working properly. $29 if there is damage.

I hope you’re not implying that because they’re so “inexpensive” that people should just buy a whole new set if something happens...

 

[johnyslats]

Dang. Thanks. They’re just encouraging people to “accidentally” break them then.

My takeaway is that if the battery drops below 80% capacity within 2 years you'd get them replaced under AppleCare+. Shouldn't be that hard to achieve with heavy use. Unless I'm missing something 🤔

 

[ani4ani]

I think this does little more than given a real hint at the real cost of these earphones.

 

[newyorksole]

So doesn’t it seem like the direct here is to buy AppleCare+ and then replace the pair before the two year period is over to increase the longevity of your purchase? Compared with buying the future 2021 AirPod Pro model for $250+, it seems like spending $29 up front plus another $29 makes a bit more sense.

AppleCare+ now extends beyond 2 years. If you want it beyond 2 years you can pay monthly.

Also, that’s what I do for my iPhone every year. Before the new 1 comes out I go to the Genius Bar and say something is wrong with it so that I can get a free replacement and sell it as “brand new”.

 

[426kahemi]

will there also be the option of purchasing spare ear tips?
I think it won't last as long as rest of AirPods ..

 

[ani4ani]

AppleCare+ now extends beyond 2 years. If you want it beyond 2 years you can pay monthly.

Also, that’s what I do for my iPhone every year. Before the new 1 comes out I go to the Genius Bar and say something is wrong with it so that I can get a free replacement and sell it as “brand new”.

You're a class act!

 

[iMi]

First, they still look ridiculous in my opinion. They are still way too easy to displace, joining the original Earpods and the Apple TV remote for the record time it takes to lose them. Beats Pro is a better value, in my opinion. Now the AppleCare also doesn't make a lot of sense. The coverage does not include losing the set, which makes sense. Easy to abuse. At $29 the coverage is about 12% of the purchase price, plus 12% copay. Add the fact that you have 1-year warranty already in place, you're paying at least $60 to protect a product worth maybe half or even less. Seems like a terrible value to me.

Speaking of Applecare, has anyone noticed how Apple keeps telling us they use the "strongest glass" ever made and highlight just "amazing" and "tough" the glass is and how hard it is to break it, yet still charge the same for Applecare and limit the number of repairs?

Hmm...

Here's my favorite - you know how the iPhone is now waterproof... well, Applecare still excludes water damage from coverage.

Hmm...

I think Apple is either beefing up margins on AppleCare or blowing smoke on just how durable and water-resistant their phones are. Either way... I still bought it. Two of them, but I'm skipping AppleCare. 😂

 

[tobefirst ⚽️]

There was no option Apple Care for Gen 1/2 AirPods as its a disposable product...

I believe you to be right about the gen 1s, but I can purchase AppleCare right now for the gen 2s. Are the AirPods any more disposable than the AirPod Pros?

 

[Defthand]

Under the AppleCare plan, it would cost $120 to replace both buds and the case. This should give us an idea of what it costs to make these buds. Considering it's highly unlikely that Apple replaces anything at cost, the buds probably cost no more than $100 to make. At $250 retail, that's a 150% markup.

 

[tobefirst ⚽️]

My mistake. I clearly didn't get enough sleep last night. Fixed that!

It still reads as lost or stolen on the paragraph under the photo, unless my browser is caching the old article.

EDIT: Ah, okay. Nevermind. It seems right as you have it now.

 

[Metrosey]

I think this does little more than given a real hint at the real cost of these earphones.

Of course they are not near $249 to produce, however, you pay for R&D, prototypes, employees pay, customer service, stores, location of stores, etc. All factored into the overall cost. It's the same reason why audio equipment can range from cheap to widely expensive, you can get some cheap amazon headphones that haven't got a large R&D budget or something like the HD 800S, HE 1, etc, that have extensive R&D budgets for audio refinements.

 

[AppleZilla]

Picking up tomorrow morning. Getting AppleCare. Can't wait.

 

[SoN1NjA]

Cheap way to get a new battery? Break your airpods and get them replaced for $29 + $29?

Does this cover battery replacements?

No need, someone last week said that Apple can't tell the battery health of your AirPods or whatnot, so whenever you're in warranty you could just replace them and Apple can't say anything about it ― which also includes just before your warranty is up

 

[gusping]

No need, someone last week said that Apple can't tell the battery health of your AirPods or whatnot, so whenever you're in warranty you could just replace them and Apple can't say anything about it ― which also includes just before your warranty is up

Oh really? That’s good. I’m not usually one for AppleCare, but if i get these i think it’s a must. They should last more than 2 years for £250.

 

[ani4ani]

Of course they are not near $249 to produce, however, you pay for R&D, prototypes, employees pay, customer service, stores, location of stores, etc. All factored into the overall cost. It's the same reason why audio equipment can range from cheap to widely expensive, you can get some cheap amazon headphones that haven't got a large R&D budget or something like the HD 800S, HE 1, etc, that have extensive R&D budgets for audio refinements.

All true....they still have to pay for those things whether they are replacement or new pods.

 

[newyorksole]

You're a class act!

Lol there’s nothing wrong at all with doing that...

 

[Metrosey]

All true....they still have to pay for those things whether they are replacement or new pods.

Indeed

 

[frankly]

The question I have is will this AppleCare+ be able to be extended on a monthly basis like Apple has started doing with some of their other devices. When they began offering AppleCare+ for the iPhone on a monthly charge, they also added the option to continue paying the monthly charge beyond the 2-year period for continuing coverage.

 

[Rafterman]

Can't imagine how much fraud they would experience if AppleCare covered lost/stolen. They have no way of remotely locking earphones the way they can with phones that got "lost"

Stealing headphones, putting them in your ear after some dude had them before you. Gross.

 

[doelcm82]

It’s a $250 item first of all. Second of all, uhh why not? $29 is slightly above 10% of the AirPods Pro cost. Unlimited free replacements if there’s no physical damage and the AirPods Pro or Case are actually not working properly. $29 if there is damage.

I hope you’re not implying that because they’re so “inexpensive” that people should just buy a whole new set if something happens...

It’s a personal choice whether to buy insurance on small electronics. Historically I almost never have. I’m careful enough with my belongings that it doesn’t make financial sense, and if I do end up damaging something, it’s not that much of an expense to replace it, often with something more advanced.
My mindset changed when I had children in the house. The possibility of damage turned into a probability, and that changed the financial part of the equation.

 

[stockseer]

You're a class act!

That kind of consumer is why Apple was forced to tighten-up their once-pro-consumer replacement attitude at Genius Bars... it's not just about profits; it's partially chiselers trying to up the resale value (not that Apple offered fair trade values either until now).
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One slight note: if you're not worried about 3% back on AppleCard/Apple Pay; why not use an American Express card for purchase. That extends your warranty for the 2nd year (and I think some Visa cards do the same; maybe even the Apple/MasterCard.

 

[senseless]

It’s a $250 item first of all. Second of all, uhh why not? $29 is slightly above 10% of the AirPods Pro cost. Unlimited free replacements if there’s no physical damage and the AirPods Pro or Case are actually not working properly. $29 if there is damage.

I hope you’re not implying that because they’re so “inexpensive” that people should just buy a whole new set if something happens...

I'm saying that insurance should be for life, home & health. Catastrophic losses. A lifetime of insuring trivial things is a losing proposition actuarially. Take some risk.

 

[lars666]

AppleCare+ now extends beyond 2 years. If you want it beyond 2 years you can pay monthly.

Also, that’s what I do for my iPhone every year. Before the new 1 comes out I go to the Genius Bar and say something is wrong with it so that I can get a free replacement and sell it as “brand new”.

Thanks for making products more expensive for all of us and making it more difficult to have real warranty claims believed at the Genius Bar.

 

[ani4ani]

Lol there’s nothing wrong at all with doing that...

what? committing fraud? Claiming something is wrong with your device, when knowing that not to be the case is fraud. Acts like this, only increases the cost of cover / insurance for others.

 

[Khedron]

It’s a $250 item first of all. Second of all, uhh why not? $29 is slightly above 10% of the AirPods Pro cost. Unlimited free replacements if there’s no physical damage and the AirPods Pro or Case are actually not working properly. $29 if there is damage.

I hope you’re not implying that because they’re so “inexpensive” that people should just buy a whole new set if something happens...

Of you can pay for a real insurance policy that covers loss and theft.

AppleCare+ is Apple getting customers to pay for their own legally-required warranties.
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Of course they are not near $249 to produce, however, you pay for R&D, prototypes, employees pay, customer service, stores, location of stores, etc. All factored into the overall cost. It's the same reason why audio equipment can range from cheap to widely expensive, you can get some cheap amazon headphones that haven't got a large R&D budget or something like the HD 800S, HE 1, etc, that have extensive R&D budgets for audio refinements.

Plus Apple has to cover the price of the replacement pair when their update bricks your current ones