Is AppleCare Plus Worth It? 5 Reasons Why You Should Get an Extended Warranty

When buying a new Mac, iPhone, or other Apple product, you may get asked if you want also to buy the AppleCare+ extended warranty. While increased tech support, coverage for lost devices, and lower-cost repairs are good, are the AppleCare Plus benefits worth the cost? This article explains why — and why not — you might want to buy AppleCare+.

What Is AppleCare+?

Apple's standard warranty provides 90 days of complimentary technical support and one year of limited coverage for defects. Unless you buy AppleCare+, you're on your own after those periods end. If you need a repair or support, you'll pay standard prices.

AppleCare+ changes that. AppleCare+ is an extended warranty, or device insurance plan, that lengthens coverage periods and adds some other benefits, including:

• Lower pricing for repairs
• Unlimited repair incidents
• Loss or theft coverage for iPhone
• Enhanced tech support
• Faster repair service
  

5 Reasons Why You Should Get an AppleCare+ Extended Warranty

Whether you're a Mac expert, an experienced iPhone user, or you just got your first iPad, here are some reasons to extend your Apple warranty with AppleCare+.

Lower Prices for Repairs

Having AppleCare+ means you'll pay a lower price if you need a repair. For example, if you need to replace your iPhone 15 Pro screen and have AppleCare+, you'll pay US$29; without AppleCare+, it costs $379. That's quite a savings. Similarly, repairing a MacBook Pro screen costs $99 with AppleCare+ and can cost over $400 without it.

Repairs by Experts

You can have the highest confidence in the repairs through AppleCare+ because highly trained Apple employees make them. Repair by a third-party shop might be fine, but there's no way to be sure until the repair is done. With Apple's expert repair, there's no question about quality.

Extends and Enhances Tech Support

As noted above, AppleCare+ extends the period for tech support from 90 days to up to 3 years on some models. Even better, AppleCare+ customers get expedited priority access to Apple's tech support team 24/7 by phone or chat. That means less time waiting on hold to get a problem solved.

Flexible Repair Options

If your device needs repair, it can often be inconvenient to take it to an Apple Store or send it to Apple. With AppleCare+, you get better and faster options. For desktop Macs, repair people sometimes come to you, or a courier service will pick it up from your home or office. Apple ships you a pre-paid box for laptops, so getting it repaired is less of a hassle.

iPhone Theft and Loss Coverage

A stolen or lost phone is among the most common disasters that can befall iPhone owners (though Find My iPhone can help locate it). Without AppleCare+, that means paying full price to buy a new iPhone (which can cost $1,000 or more). If you spend a bit more for theft and loss coverage (usually around $35/year), replacing a lost or stolen iPhone costs just $149 (and you can make two such claims every 12 months).

When and Where to Buy AppleCare+

Are you convinced of the Apple Care Plus benefits? You can get the extra coverage when you buy your device or any time within 60 days after purchase. If you bought your device more than 60 days ago, it's no longer eligible for AppleCare+.

You can pay month to month or buy annual, two-year, or—for some devices—three-year plans. Most plans auto-renew after the original term ends. To buy AppleCare+, you can:

• Go to the System Settings app on a Mac (Apple menu > System Settings > General > About) or the Settings app on an iPhone or iPad (Settings > General > About > Add AppleCare+ Coverage)
  
• Buy at Apple's website
• Buy at any Apple Store
• Call 1-800-275-2273.

Devices Eligible for AppleCare+ and AppleCare+ Pricing

AppleCare+ can be added to most of Apple's major devices, including Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and accessories like Apple TV. Not all models are eligible (usually only models released in the last few years), and pricing differs based on the model and the coverage term.

Click the link for each device below to see what models are currently eligible for AppleCare+ and get your model's exact pricing.

4 Reasons Why You Shouldn't Buy AppleCare+

Think AppleCare+ sounds like a great deal? There are also plenty of reasons not to spend money on it.

Most People Never Use It

Extended warranties like AppleCare+ are insurance — and these plans are only offered if the company takes in more money than it pays out to customers. That's the idea of AppleCare+; Apple wouldn't offer it if it weren't profitable, and profit comes from people buying and not needing it. Think about your experience with consumer electronics. If you don't tend to break them or need repairs, AppleCare+ probably won't be a good value.

It Raises Total Costs

Paying $999 for a base iPhone 15 Pro is expensive, but adding AppleCare+ pushes the cost to a new level. Two years of AppleCare+, with theft and loss protection, for the iPhone 15 Pro costs $269. That's nearly $1,300 before tax — or a price increase of 27%.

If You're Careful, You Won't Need It

You know how you treat your electronics and devices. If you're careful with them — don't drop them, don't spill liquid on them, or lose them — you probably don't need an extended warranty. In this case, some caution can lead to significant savings.

Some Devices Are Less Likely to be Damaged

It may make sense to buy AppleCare+ for devices at higher risk of theft or damage, like an iPhone or laptop. Because they're on the go, used in many more situations, and are relatively small, they're more likely to encounter accidents. On the other hand, desktop Macs are low-risk devices, and the Apple TV is both low-risk and relatively low-cost, so AppleCare+ probably doesn't make sense for those kinds of products.