Is AppleCare worth it? Should you insure your Apple Watch?

AppleCare is a service provided by Apple

Adding AppleCare to your Apple device gives you additional security and support. In addition to the standard 90-day warranty provided by Apple, this add-on provides you with additional customer service.

Additionally, it covers hardware failures for a period of three years, as well as certain unintentional damage, all for a fraction of the cost of what you’d have to shell out if you did it yourself. I’m going to dive into the AppleCare service generally (because I assume if you have an Apple Watch, you have other Apple products). Then I’ll specifically talk about if you should use AppleCare to insure your Apple Watch a little later.

A one-year limited warranty covers hardware failures, manufacturing problems, and up to 90 days of complimentary technical support for most Apple devices. Apple offers AppleCare+ and the AppleCare Protection Plan as additional insurance options. Is AppleCare+ a good deal when considering the up-front costs, deductibles, and price variations throughout the Apple product line?

Read: What Kind of Visual Functionality Does An Apple Watch Have?

Firstly, do a quick check to see if you already have it

Make sure you’ve got the Watch app installed on your phone and open it
Select “General.”
In the drop-down menu, select “About.”
If you don’t have access to your phone, you can still complete these instructions using your Apple Watch.

Before this change, customers in the United States and Canada had 30 to 60 days from the date of purchase to activate an AppleCare+ subscription. The extended coverage feature is enabled by default in the Settings app on many Apple devices. AppleCare can now be extended forever with the help of subscription options that have just become available.

The extent of protection provided by AppleCare+ varies slightly based on where you live. When it comes to theft and loss coverage for AppleCare+, it is not available outside of the United States and Japan. It’s essential to check the conditions of coverage in your country before purchasing AppleCare+.

Warranty

A limited warranty, which is fairly prevalent for consumer electronics, is the typical guarantee that comes free with your equipment. Product functionality is guaranteed for a year or two years with the Apple Watch Edition under this warranty. Within that time period, if something significantly fails, and it is not the user’s fault, Apple will fix it for free.

No matter where you acquire the product, this guarantee is applied and can be transferred to a new owner within the first year of ownership if the item is sold. Providing proof of purchase is all you need to do to transfer the warranty to a new owner. If you live in a nation that doesn’t have a standard warranty, you may have to pay for additional coverage.

AppleCare and AppleCare+

In addition to the typical one-year warranty, Apple provides extra service and support plans.

AppleCare+, the company’s extended warranty program for most of its products, provides hardware coverage for up to two or three years (depending on the product) and accidental damage coverage for up to two occurrences per year (subject to service fees).

AppleCare did not previously cover accidental damage, but the company has since made most products eligible for AppleCare+, which does. Only a few products, such as Apple TV, are still eligible for ordinary AppleCare, which does not cover accidental damage.

A one-year limited warranty (two years for the Apple Watch Edition)

For 90 days, only Apple support through chat or phone is covered for hardware issues.

AppleCare+

Two-year or three-year extended warranties are available, as well as month-to-month options.
Up to two instances of unintentional damage per year are covered, subject to service charges.
Chat or phone access to Apple’s customer service representatives
Speedy replacement
An extra cost is required to cover two theft or loss incidents (available for the iPhone only)

Features of AppleCare

Extends and widens the scope of the normally-limited warranty provided by Apple. AppleCare extends the warranty period for most Apple devices, such as the iPhone and iPad, by an extra two years, while the warranty period for Macs and Apple Displays is extended by three years. AppleCare’s extended warranty period is a major selling point. For the period of the coverage, AppleCare provides phone and chat support, as well as priority access.

Month-to-month AppleCare+ payments are available in the United States and a few other countries, allowing customers to extend their coverage for up to two years.

Repairs

While AppleCare pays for any repairs your device may need, only if they are caused by a hardware breakdown and not unintentional damage, it covers the charges for the life of the cover.

Using the Express New Service, you can request and get a replacement device before sending in your damaged original device for repair on iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches.

You’re covered for six months if your Apple Watch is damaged in any way by accident. A $69 service fee applies to all incidents.

AppleCare+ extends the two-year guarantee for the Apple Watch Edition and Hermes to a total of 36 months. These two Apple watch types will cost $79 for the service.

There is a set deductible for unintentional damage incidents, which is determined by the type of damage and the device involved. This policy will not cover non-essential incidents.

Repair costs with AppleCare+ are lower than those for conventional Apple services, but you’ll still be responsible for the deductible. For example, a replacement iPhone screen costs only $29 if yours has broken. If any, the charge for additional damage to the iPhone is $99. An out-of-warranty screen repair costs $329. With the Express Replacement Service, AppleCare+ greatly cuts the repair expenses, and the process is expected to be simple.

Theft or loss

AppleCare+ provides coverage in the event that your device is lost or stolen, allowing you to get a new one. So, AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss, on the other hand, costs an extra premium on top of the usual AppleCare+ pricing. AppleCare+ with theft and loss protection costs an additional $100 and is only available for the iPhone.

This plan covers accidental damage, theft, or loss twice a year, as long as your lost device has “Find My Device” turned on. The cost of a new iPhone in the event of a lost or stolen model is still subject to a deductible. You can get a new iPhone up to two times a year for as little as $269 per incident.

Access to and Costs of AppleCare

Plan costs vary depending on the type of device that is covered by the AppleCare plan that is purchased. The more expensive a device is, the more expensive its AppleCare will be.

In some regions, AppleCare+ for iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches can also be purchased on a monthly recurring subscription plan in addition to the normal one-time purchase option.

According to the cost of AppleCare+ for your specific device, you may expect to pay $9 per month for the $199 plan or $14 for the $299 plan. Monthly payments for AppleCare+ are more expensive, but you have the option to cancel or extend your coverage if you like.

Add-ons to the Base Plan

If you’re contemplating AppleCare, it’s a good idea to look at other companies’ protection plans for your iPhone as well. A wide range of financial institutions, mobile phone service providers, and home and renter’s insurance policies all provide coverage for electronic gadgets. Additionally, you may be able to purchase an extended service plan from a third-party Apple shop.

Suppose you live in a region where AppleCare is unavailable. In that case, you may want to check out other third-party warranties and insurance packages that may provide similar or better coverage for your Apple device. For a monthly fee, many of these services can beat AppleCare’s price.

young woman confused about apple watch visual funtionality

Do You Need AppleCare?

It all comes down to how much danger and price you are ready to face when it comes to your Apple gadget.

A strong case can be made for purchasing AppleCare+ in the event that you are prone to dropping or otherwise damaging your smartphone. In the same way, supplementary loss and theft coverage is based on your perception of the likelihood of misplacing or losing your device. AppleCare+ is worth paying for folks who are simply more negligent with their gadgets.

Due to the accidental damage coverage, I believe AppleCare is a worthwhile investment for computers, iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches that you intend to keep longer than a year. We don’t see the need for it with Apple TVs and HomePods, and with desktop Macs and screens, it’s more of a matter of personal preference.

While AppleCare is a worthwhile investment, it still has various deductibles and restrictions on claims, making it an additional fee for coverage that still significantly impacts the stress and cost of accidental damage repairs or replacement devices. AppleCare isn’t absolutely necessary, but it may be well worth the extra security it provides.

Should you get Apple Care for your Apple Watch?

If you have an Apple Watch, service prices will vary. AppleCare+ costs $79 if you own an aluminum Apple Watch Series 6.

For those of you who own an Apple Watch SE, the price is $49. For those with the more expensive Apple Watch Edition or Hermes, it’s $149 for a replacement battery.

Apple Watch SE (Gen 1) [GPS 40mm] Smart Watch w/Space Grey Aluminium Case with Midnight Sport...

The cost of AppleCare+ can also be paid monthly, and the price depends on the model of your device. It costs $4.99 a month for the Apple Watch Edition. It costs $2.49 a month to lease an Apple Watch SE.

The only difference is that the Apple Watch version of AppleCare+ offers a different number of years of coverage than all the other devices.

AppleCare+ offers three years of protection for the Edition and Hermes models, the two most expensive Apple Watches. Everyone else gets two years.

When you buy an Apple Watch with Apple Card, you can only select the one-time payment option for AppleCare+.

Apple Watch Hermes and Apple Watch Edition are two variations of the Apple Watch.

AppleCare+ offers three years of protection for these two Watches, but there’s also a distinction. Not purchasing AppleCare+ will still provide you with two years of hardware repair coverage from Apple.

A year’s worth of this is included with the standard Apple Watch.

Why?

However, this begs the question of why. It’s worth reading the fine print to see that this warranty only covers hardware failures caused by defects in materials or workmanship.

To put right “cosmetic problems [such as] scratches, dents and broken plastic on ports” is not the purpose of this service.

However, regardless of how many years of hardware repair coverage you purchase, you won’t be getting the fixes you will need.

When compared to AppleCare+

When it comes to AppleCare+ for the Apple Watch, here are the expenses and savings.

Once you’ve paid for AppleCare+, you’re covered for these two incidences every year. This time, Apple does not distinguish between different sorts of damage, as it does with most other AppleCare+ products.

“Screen Replacement and Other Services” includes everything. This means that if something goes wrong, Apple will fix it for a set service price.

You’ll pay $69 per incident for aluminum and stainless steel Apple Watches. You’ll spend $79 for the Apple Watch Hermes and the Apple Watch Edition.

In this case, if you own a watch that requires four or six repairs, you’ll have to pay the service fee each time. That’s a maximum of $325 for a two-year warranty on an Apple Watch SE. (Four $69 service costs, plus your $49 AppleCare+ fee.)

Your Apple Watch Series 6’s two-year warranty covers a maximum repair bill of $355.

Be mindful of which Apple Watch you have

The servicing fee for an Apple Watch Edition or an Apple Watch Hermes is ten dollars higher per incident than the standard fee. The $149 AppleCare+ cost means that if you need six repairs over the three-year warranty period, you’ll have to pay $623.

That’s compared to the costs of getting repairs if you don’t have AppleCare coverage. Obviously, the more costly the watch, the more expensive the repair will be, although this isn’t always the case.

Outside of the benefits of AppleCare+, the type of LTE or cellular Apple Watch you have has an impact.

It will cost you $219 if you need to take your GPS-only Apple Watch SE to a repair shop for a screen replacement or any other servicing. Apple Watch SE with LTE costs $249.

A repair on a Series 6 aluminum GPS-only Apple Watch costs $299. $349 for a watch that has LTE connectivity.

For $399, you can get an Apple Watch Series 6 in stainless steel with GPS and LTE. Apple Watch Hermes Series 6 costs the same $399 as a regular Apple Watch.

Repairing a titanium Apple Watch Edition Series 6 costs $499.

Apple Watch Series 6 (GPS, 40mm) - Silver Aluminum Case with White Sport Band

Read: Quick, Grab The Apple Watch SE For Less!

To sum up

AppleCare+ is more cost-effective for you if you ever need to have your device repaired. A good deal on AppleCare+ is available if you own more than one device.

Whether or not you will ever have a child is a matter of debate. When it comes to Apple Watches made of aluminum, some owners don’t have a single scratch on them, while others appear to scratch theirs up fast.

When it comes to Apple Watch Series 6, it’s not clear if they will repair or replace your entire device because of damage on the side. It would cost you one of your two annual incidents if they did.

Aside from the direct cost, there are other considerations to keep in mind if you frequently thump your wrist on doorways. Then there’s the sense of well-being.

That’s what AppleCare+ is all about, after all. AppleCare+ doesn’t mean you’ll be careless with your Watch, but you’ll probably worry less about damaging it.

We’d love to hear your opinion of AppleCare, let us know in the comments.

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