Interesting, I think AC is included in the iPhone Upgrade Program and I normally just buy the 1-time AC for 2 (or is it 3?) years on a new MBP. My Watch is the only thing I pay for AC on via subscription and it's $4.23/mo (total, with tax).
Just like the Apple One plan (News/Music/Storage/Arcade/etc) it simply doesn't make sense for me at all. I pay for more storage (2TB) and there is no way to make that an add-on, you have to pay the full price for 2TB on top of the Apple One plan. Since I use Spotify and don't care for News+ it's not at all worth it for me.
I have exclusively Apple products (aside from local and cloud Linux servers) and yet Apple's main bundling options make zero sense for me.
> Starting tomorrow, customers in the U.S. can sign up for AppleCare One directly on their iPhone, iPad, or Mac, or by visiting their nearest Apple Store.
Do you think this means it covers Mac too, or just that you can buy it on a Mac but only for other devices, as mentioned below:
...AppleCare One extends that same reliability and makes it easier than ever to protect the products you love and depend on like iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch...
I looked at the numbers for this for my personal devices:
- My iPhone is currently covered by apple care with the upgrade program but it does not have loss or theft, which would be an additional $4.16 a month (normally $10 a month)
- My Mac: $3.49 a month (doesnt include loss or theft)
- My iPad: $4.99
- Apple Watch: $2.99
- 2 different airpods, $15 a year each. $30 a year total. Roughly $2.50 a month
This is not including any homepods or apple tv's since I just don't see the point.
Even ignoring the difference in price with the upgrade program the best I can get for 3 devices would be iPhone + iPad + Mac coming to $18.
The $5.99 for adding more devices is more than every device except for an iPhone outside of the upgrade program.
The only people I really see benefiting are those with Apple Vision Pro since that is $25 a month. What am I missing about their calculation for this saving money?
Adding AppleCare to older devices with degraded battery life (as I understand, you will be able to replace them for free if they fall below 80%) is a phenomenal deal, in my opinion. This also includes accidental spill coverage. You can always stop coverage when you're not using them.
I wish that this had a "family sharing" option, like "Apple One" does. My kids have iPhones with AppleCare+ but the only way to manage it is from their phone (despite being billed to the Family Sharing plan); would be nice to manage all of the family AppleCare+ stuff from one place.
(Or, Apple could fix the larger issue which is that subscriptions for family members can only be managed from the family member's account/device, despite being shared with the family)
I usually buy AppleCare+ for my new products (laptop, etc). I think an awesome use case here is the “hand me downs” that my 8yo gets. All are out of warranty, but he’s a lot tougher and more clumsy with the equipment. Covering all that (Mac, iPad, iPhone) for $20/month seems like a good deal.
Then again, when he breaks something, I don’t get to justify buying myself a new one :)
> With AppleCare One, customers can now add products they already own that are up to four years old if they are in good condition.
Currently, to get AppleCare after purchase or the 90 day window, you need to go to an Apple store before the warranty expires and ask staff to add it for you. This is never advertised (to my knowledge) but well known. Now they are making it possible to add AppleCare even after warranty expires.
I hate to say this, but no other PC or mobile phone manufacturer is providing warranty service (for consumer hardware) that remotely matches Apple's.
>For just $19.99 per month, customers can protect up to three products in one plan
>[...]
>With AppleCare One, customers can now add products they already own that are up to four years old1 if they are in good condition.3
>3 To verify “good condition,” products may be required to undergo a diagnostic check using a customer’s iPhone or iPad, or at an Apple Store, prior to being added to the plan.
Applecare's page also says you can get a battery replacement if it's under 80%.
>AppleCare covers battery replacements at no extra charge if the capacity drops below 80 percent.
Does that mean you can enroll in apple care one when your battery is at 81%, wear down the battery life within a month (eg. fast charging/heating it), invoke the battery replacement benefit, and end up with a battery replacement for $20? The normal price for a battery replacement is $99, so this is a significant savings.
One glaring omission in the announcement is whether the support for this will apply when one is in some other country where Apple has some presence (directly or through authorized service providers). It seems like the coverage may be limited only within the geographical boundaries of the U.S.
I was half hoping that would be a press release saying that AppleCare would be bundled with the AppleOne plan... That would have been awesome, but otherwise I never used/needed AppleCare on anything so I guess I would pass.
This is a pet peeve of mine, but I dislike when any corporation resorts to using "One" to brand something. It signals a lack of creativity; it is just so bland.
$240 per year. I find that very expensive. Insurance is always more expensive than the expected expense without, but this really doesn't feel like good value.
26 comments
[ 3.4 ms ] story [ 47.8 ms ] threadJust like the Apple One plan (News/Music/Storage/Arcade/etc) it simply doesn't make sense for me at all. I pay for more storage (2TB) and there is no way to make that an add-on, you have to pay the full price for 2TB on top of the Apple One plan. Since I use Spotify and don't care for News+ it's not at all worth it for me.
I have exclusively Apple products (aside from local and cloud Linux servers) and yet Apple's main bundling options make zero sense for me.
Do you think this means it covers Mac too, or just that you can buy it on a Mac but only for other devices, as mentioned below:
...AppleCare One extends that same reliability and makes it easier than ever to protect the products you love and depend on like iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch...
- My iPhone is currently covered by apple care with the upgrade program but it does not have loss or theft, which would be an additional $4.16 a month (normally $10 a month)
- My Mac: $3.49 a month (doesnt include loss or theft)
- My iPad: $4.99
- Apple Watch: $2.99
- 2 different airpods, $15 a year each. $30 a year total. Roughly $2.50 a month
This is not including any homepods or apple tv's since I just don't see the point.
Even ignoring the difference in price with the upgrade program the best I can get for 3 devices would be iPhone + iPad + Mac coming to $18.
The $5.99 for adding more devices is more than every device except for an iPhone outside of the upgrade program.
The only people I really see benefiting are those with Apple Vision Pro since that is $25 a month. What am I missing about their calculation for this saving money?
I got all of these numbers from this page: https://www.apple.com/applecare/
(Or, Apple could fix the larger issue which is that subscriptions for family members can only be managed from the family member's account/device, despite being shared with the family)
Then again, when he breaks something, I don’t get to justify buying myself a new one :)
Guess it’s easier to sedate/distract them?
Currently, to get AppleCare after purchase or the 90 day window, you need to go to an Apple store before the warranty expires and ask staff to add it for you. This is never advertised (to my knowledge) but well known. Now they are making it possible to add AppleCare even after warranty expires.
I hate to say this, but no other PC or mobile phone manufacturer is providing warranty service (for consumer hardware) that remotely matches Apple's.
>[...]
>With AppleCare One, customers can now add products they already own that are up to four years old1 if they are in good condition.3
>3 To verify “good condition,” products may be required to undergo a diagnostic check using a customer’s iPhone or iPad, or at an Apple Store, prior to being added to the plan.
Applecare's page also says you can get a battery replacement if it's under 80%.
>AppleCare covers battery replacements at no extra charge if the capacity drops below 80 percent.
Does that mean you can enroll in apple care one when your battery is at 81%, wear down the battery life within a month (eg. fast charging/heating it), invoke the battery replacement benefit, and end up with a battery replacement for $20? The normal price for a battery replacement is $99, so this is a significant savings.
I also have AirPods Pro, iPad, MacMini M4 Pro, and a 2020 MacBook Pro M1 Max.
If this covers my 2020 MacBook Pro M1 Max, iPhone, and MacMini it’s a no brainer.