The AppleCare+ product previously required customers to pay the full repair price should they accidentally damage their device for the third time in a year. That limited people who regularly drop their iPhones, but the expansion to allow “unlimited repairs” means that the pressure is now off—and fewer people will be forced to use broken handsets despite having already paid for AppleCare+. The same goes for Apple Watches and other products, too. “I think it’s great,” independent app developer Will Bishop told Lifewire via direct message. “I always get AppleCare for my Apple Watch because I’m more likely to bang it into things.”
The Case for Going Caseless
AppleCare+ coverage isn’t new, and it was available on Macs long before Apple announced its availability for the iPhone in 2007. Today, it covers iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple Watches, and even Apple TVs and HomePods. Buyers can even cover their AirPods with AppleCare+, giving them accidental damage protection and additional customer support benefits. For iPhone owners, in particular, the accidental damage cover can prove vital. Some people even choose not to put a case on their iPhone because they have AppleCare+, believing they can just get their iPhone repaired should they drop it. It’s an approach that becomes all the more viable given Apple’s decision to remove the two-claim annual limit, too. AppleCare+ for an iPhone starts at $79 for two years of coverage, although there are deductibles to consider. A replacement iPhone screen costs $29, while other accidental damage costs as much as $99. Considering iPhone cases can run beyond $50, it’s perhaps easy to see why some rely on AppleCare+ rather than wrapping their iPhone in rubber or leather.
Better Product, Same Price
Notably, Apple has maintained the current price structure for its AppleCare+ products. That, coupled with a speedy repair service, makes Applecare+ a popular choice. Cabel Sasser, a co-founder of software and video game company Panic, notes that being able to get an iPhone repaired at local Apple Stores makes AppleCare+ even more compelling. “Last time I did a repair, they replaced/recycled the broken glass in-store—same phone, new glass—and it took about an hour,” he said via Twitter, noting that he was charged just the $29 deductible for the fix. To some, the real surprise isn’t that people can file more claims using their AppleCare+ insurance but that Apple isn’t taking the opportunity to increase prices. “Having unlimited repairs for the same price is a welcome upgrade,” said Bishop. While Apple hasn’t made AppleCare+ more expensive, out-of-cover repairs aren’t getting any cheaper. The newly-announced Apple Watch Ultra will cost $799 to buy, but anyone who needs to get one repaired will be stuck with a hefty $499 bill. That repair fee applies to damage to the watch’s case, display, buttons, and more—all things likely to be damaged on a watch. Similar repairs with AppleCare+ cost $79 after the initial $99 upfront expense. Now, with those repairs no longer limited to two per year, the value of AppleCare+ is difficult to ignore. While it’s true that third-party repair shops do exist, some prefer being able to deal directly with Apple. “Anyone questioning why Apple users love Apple need only experience their service standards,” said Ben Liebmann, founder of media consultancy, Understory, and AppleCare+ customer via Twitter. “Two different AppleCare+ repairs flagged and resolved in two days, and they were the ultimate brand and customer experience.” It’s that level of customer satisfaction that makes AppleCare+ so easy to recommend, perhaps above and beyond its value.
