Comment by nerdjon
2 days ago
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?
I got all of these numbers from this page: https://www.apple.com/applecare/
Higher tier devices have higher AppleCare+ costs, so a Macbook Pro + iPad Pro + iPhone Pro = just short of $300 a year, if I did the math right. Also if you're someone who travels a lot or loses things this seems slightly better.
I've personally never had AppleCare on anything (even phones).
Financially speaking, you shouldn't insure what you can afford to repair or replace, unless you're well above average risk for some reason. Of course, peace of mind is an emotional calculation that may come out differently.
> Financially speaking, you shouldn't insure what you can afford to repair or replace, unless you're well above average risk for some reason.
I know that my MacBook and phone batteries wear out (<80%) pretty quick, and a single free replacement with AppleCare would pretty much let me break even on cost.
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Right, although repair with Apple devices is a tricky/impossible cost calculation to make. I also remember the "good old days" when you could bring an iPhone with issues into the store and likely get a replacement just by asking nicely.
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That’s not how risk management works.
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The liquid protection is nice. I never had it either because the only thing I was worried about was liquid and I'm quite careful with that, but last year someone spilled apple juice all over my stuff and it was an expensive bill, so I started to get applecare. The other thing is I got my wifes screen replaced in the mall last year and they said they replaced it with OEM apple but no way they did, it was junk, and no way for me to prove they used something that wasn't apple.
I typically get AppleCare on my phone and then get a new screen and battery right before the window is up. AppleCare is cheaper than the cost of those repairs plus I have the added peace of mind that if something bad does happen I have AppleCare. I don’t renew it as part of the monthly plan though.
I also don’t use a case or screen protector on my phone fwiw
The repair market is a pretty horrible disaster zone of stories like that. I popped a 15" MBP screen a few years back and the (£500 paid) replacement lid+screen from a third party had the ghosting problem that was a problem on those. I tried to return it but the seller disappeared. Same with batteries - never last as well as the OEM ones.
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Did you say liquids ? Our senior Siamese tips over anything full of water, and that zapped the wifey's Mac.
i regret not getting it on my iphone bc the screen cracked and coming from android i had no idea apple would charge nearly half the price of the phone to repair it
The pricing on that page is From pricing; more expensive models have more expensive premiums - see e.g. https://www.apple.com/legal/sales-support/applecare/applecar... says iPhone AppleCare+ costs between $7.99 and $13.99 on a monthly plan.
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.
> What am I missing about their calculation for this saving money?
It’s a psychological thing I think. People will balk at paying $400 upfront to cover their Macbook for three years but $20 per month? No problem!
That's why cable TV doesn't let you pay a lump sum up front for long-term access, I guess.
It also doesn't look like it would cover spouse/kid devices in Family.
Can I add my family’s devices to my AppleCare One plan?
AppleCare One plans can cover devices that are on the same Apple Account as the subscriber.