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iPad Pro AppleCare for iPad Pro Worth it and which route?

M

mikedude86

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 2, 2010
133
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Hi all, just curious how many out there purchase AppleCare+ with their iPad Pro’s. I initially bought a 7th Gen iPad, so definitely didn’t find it worth it on that device, but i ended up swapping that out for the new 11” iPad Pro. Also picked up the Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard. Thinking maybe it would be worth it now. I like that it covers damage on not only the iPP but the pencil and MK. However, if I have my facts correct, it covers two incidents, but technically, for example if I dropped the iPP in a bucket of water, while it was inside of the MK, that would count as two incidents. One for the ipad and one for the keyboard. This is info I got from a rep at Apple over the phone. Does that sound right? In my opinion, that means I can only really have one incident a year. Also, if my Apple Pencil is attached in my example, they would only cover 2 of the 3 devices? I realize I’m really dissecting this, but I really hesitate with extended warranty type products.

Wondering what the forums thoughts were. Also, for those who did purchase, did you pay up front or go monthly? Is the only advantage of going monthly that you don’t have to pay over 100 up front? Otherwise it appears to be more expensive.
 
Whether or not a single catastrophic incident negates my entire AC+ allotment for the year is irrelevant to me to be honest. What’s more relevant to me is the value I’ll be getting out of the investment in the insurance should that incident occur. Am I getting replacement units valued greater than the investment that is put in? If so then yes it is worth it.

Alas, as with all insurance there’s a high likelihood that I’ll never use it, and that’s where various people will have to judge for themselves. Of the 5 active mobile devices in my household only 2 have coverage. My iPP and my son’s iPhone 8+. Each have been replaced at no cost to me other than the AC+ so at this point I already consider myself ahead.
 
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I have a day old iPad Pro 11 cellular and Magic Keyboard, and bought a Apple Pencil today. I also purchased AppleCare+ as it will also cover the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil. I am a very careful person. However, I realize that unforeseen accidents can happen that were not of my doing, not to mention hardware problems that could show up later on. I also like the idea that I can contact Apple 24 hrs a day and should I need a replacement, I can get one overnighted to me etc.

As expensive as the iPad Pro 11, Magic Keyboard, Apple Pencil, and peripheral Apple smart case are to purchase collectively, as well as repairing or replacing, the possible cost of repair and top notch professional service is well worth the price of $129, in my opinion.
 
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I agree 100% with @BasicGreatGuy about AC+ for iPad and Magic Keyboard (I don't have the pencil).

The difference between paying the total up front of $129 for a two-year term or paying $5.99/month for 24 months is $14.76. If you're planning on selling/trading in your iPad before the 24 months, you can cancel the monthly subscription or request a prorated refund for the paid-in-full amount.

Out of curiosity I just chatted with Apple Support to ask if there's an option to "complete" the one-time payment purchase (i.e., pay $129 minus monthly payments already paid) if one has already started the monthly subscription, and they confirmed that is not possible.
 
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Monthly you can continue coverage past 2 years if you wish, upfront it stops at that point I believe.

I am in the UK where monthly isn’t an option, but think I’d only claim for the pencil or MK if I was near the end of the 2 years with an incident remaining. Use both in one go early on and the odds you’ll later need to claim for the more expensive iPad are higher.
 
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Ok so with the two incidents, I can break all 3 at once and that would be 1 incident but if I broke the pencil today and iPP tomorrow that would be it, no coverage again. Is that correct?
 
I believe that even for the upfront payment plans (at least in the US), once Applecare+ has expired, you have 60 days to renew it using the monthly payment method.
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mikedude86 said:
Ok so with the two incidents, I can break all 3 at once and that would be 1 incident but if I broke the pencil today and iPP tomorrow that would be it, no coverage again. Is that correct?
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I think it's one incident per device meaning the Magic Keyboard or Pencil too, so that would be 3 incidents. Let me see if I can find the Apple documentation for that.

OK I found the Applecare+ legal agreement language for ADH (accidental damage from handling aka AC+ accident damage incident): "ADH Service for an iPad Input Device will count as a separate Service Event from ADH Service of your iPad and count towards your two Service Events, even if both your iPad and an iPad Input Device are damaged at the same time."

 
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Thanks for diving into that contract Namara, I was sitting on hold with Apple forever, and just hung up lol. I think I will go ahead and bite the bullet and purchase the up front plan. I agree it is still worth it, I just don’t like how it’s being marketed. The site says “two incidents” but to really figure out what that means you have to read the entire contract. Just seems misleading. That said, in my bucket of water example, $129 (AppleCare) + $49 (iPP replacement) + $29 (MK) + $129 (full price Apple Pencil Replacement) = $336 is still less than full retail replacement cost of all devices at $1227.

Appreciate everyone’s input :)
 
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mikedude86 said:
Thanks for diving into that contract Namara, I was sitting on hold with Apple forever, and just hung up lol. I think I will go ahead and bite the bullet and purchase the up front plan. I agree it is still worth it, I just don’t like how it’s being marketed. The site says “two incidents” but to really figure out what that means you have do read the entire contract. Just seems misleading. That said, in my bucket of water example, $129 (AppleCare) + $49 (iPP replacement) + $29 (MK) + $129 (full price Apple Pencil Replacement) = $336 is still less than full retail replacement cost of all devices at $1227.

Appreciate everyone’s input :)
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Something else to note is that after the initial AC+ 24-month period expires, you'll be able to renew AC+ on a monthly subscription, and when you do that, you'll get two new incidents. Any unused incidents in the initial period will also expire.
 
Subscribed to monthly Applecare via my new 2021 11” iPad Pro. Didn’t pick it up during pre-order as I was eager to complete the checkout process to get a launch day device. Given the price and as with my iPhone, I’d rather pay the small monthly price relative to the device itself and not need it than not have AC and then find myself with 75%+ of the cost of a new device with repairs. (Got the last 3 iphone on the iUP so AC has been inclusive).

The one or two times I’ve had to use AC since the mid-2000s, its been worth it to get my macs & iphones back and working toot sweet.
 
Always had AC+ on my tablets, phones and watches. Express Replacement is worth the price really. Never be without your device, or leave things down to the Genius to determine if it’s an issue or not. Phone call or webchat, express replacement, done.
 
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I get AppleCare on all of my Apple products. It has saved my bacon a few times. I probably spend more than I would if I didn’t have AC, but I will tell you that on my 2018 iPad Pro 11” that I just upgraded out of…I had 2 years AC on it that I paid for up front. At the end I was offered AC for $9.99/month to continue. I thought, nah…I have had only one case where I needed it…I dropped it in the first six months and bent the side. Never used it again…so I let it lapse.

THEN…dead pixels appeared in the display. It would’ve cost me $499 to replace the display out of AC. Thankfully Apple is still going to give me the full $455 trade in value, but it was annoying, for sure.
 
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Hmmmm. Let’s see....$2500 iPad...$129 1 more year coverage...why not? You’re spending so much now what’s another couple hundo...don’t forget the pencil and then the magic keypad...$3500 you got yourself a really nice sidepiece.
 
*~Kim~* said:
Monthly you can continue coverage past 2 years if you wish, upfront it stops at that point I believe.

I am in the UK where monthly isn’t an option, but think I’d only claim for the pencil or MK if I was near the end of the 2 years with an incident remaining. Use both in one go early on and the odds you’ll later need to claim for the more expensive iPad are higher.
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Monthly payments on AppleCare+ have been available for some while in the UK. You simply select the monthly option when buying AppleCare either directly from the device or retrospectively online.
 
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If you take your iPad outside the house then yes, if not, no.

never purchased apple care + for my iPad.
 
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I purchased Apple Care for my iPad. I have had my old iPad go wonky a few months before AC expires and get replacement when taken in. Definately worth it for me my iPhone same thing. Back screen was shattered so got replaced before expired…
 
I've never bought AC for any of my iPads and maybe bought once or twice for my iPhone. The money I saved over the years paid for at least two new devices. So it's all up to the comfort level of the individual. I always use credit cards that offer free extended warranty, but those don't cover accidental damages. Only if I can get away with not insuring my vehicle, haha.
 
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doboy said:
I've never bought AC for any of my iPads and maybe bought once or twice for my iPhone. The money I saved over the years paid for at least two new devices. So it's all up to the comfort level of the individual. I always use credit cards that offer free extended warranty, but those don't cover accidental damages. Only if I can get away with not insuring my vehicle, haha.
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In CA, you technically don’t have to. You just need to deposit a $30K bond with the DMV. Insurance is more affordable for me and provides better coverage. :p
 
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I purchase AppleCare on all of my Apple products.

i said in another thread that I’ve purchased AppleCare on all of my iPads in the past ten years and I’ve only had to use it once… and it was worth it as the display on my 10.5” iPad Pro had light bleeding appear about two weeks before the AppleCare was set to expire. Apple replaced the iPad with no questions asked.

I attached the (two-year) AppleCare+ agreement to my 12.9” iPad Pro pre-order.

The iPhone is the only Apple product I opt to do the monthly AppleCare+ on rather than the upfront agreement since I upgrade my iPhone with every cycle unlike my other Apple products.
 
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I purchased AC+ earlier today for my new iPad. I never had AC+ outside of an iPhone but my last 2017 Pro developed screen glare and distorted sound. Never again.
 
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Personally I don‘t buy insurance on gadgets, they goes down in value over time and becomes cheaper to replace. I don‘t see how one extra year will help with manufacturing defects.
 
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