Is AppleCare worth the added expense?

[EuroChilli]

OP there is no chance I’d waste 199 bucks. Apple sells this service because they themselves benefit not because consumers end up coming out ahead.

This. The house always wins.

If my first ever Apple product is anything to go by, save your money.

It was a 2011 MBP. The battery lasted over 2000 cycles in 8 years before it even started to show any signs of weakness. I recently replaced it with an iFixit one for €80. I also upgraded the RAM from the factory 4GB to 16GB mainly just to see what would happen. That cost €40. All it really did was allow me to do more at the same time. I also replaced the 500GB HDD with a 1TB Seagate SSHD, because I needed more space. Cost €105.

At the end of the day, nothing actually broke on this machine, so any insurance would have been a waste of money. I instead spent my money on the things just mentioned. It still works to this day. The only reason I have an M1 Air now is because of software compatibility issues. My iPhone 5 and iPod with iOS 6 never broke and also still work, but again, just software compatibility.

I do however have insurance on my apartment and car, which when combined cost 200x what a MacBook costs. Funny thing is, such insurance isn’t a whole lot more than Apple Care.

 

[steelhauler34]

Only insure things you can’t afford to replace. For everything else build up a replacement fund using the money you don’t spend on extended warranties.

Well said and stellar advice!

 

[Phone Junky]

The reason I bought it for my iPhone 11 Pro Max was because my previous iPhone 6S Plus had a receiver and mic go out, and so a 16 month old mint condition phone became a boat anchor. That was an $800 total loss to me, and it was outside of warranty although barely used.

You could have paid for an out of warranty repair. It would have been more than AppleCare but you wouldn't have had the $800 total loss.

 

[TwoLaneHighway]

The way I see it, I’m helping support an industry that allows me to drive 10 minutes to an Apple store and replace my defective device in less than five minutes, and be back home in less than 30 minutes total whenever I have a device failure. I’m willing to pay just a little bit extra to have that convenience. Very few other manufacturers can offer that convenience. Yes, I realize the Apple is making money from this, but I also appreciate the ability to replace my devices with almost no downtime.

Depending on my current location, THIS may be the best perspective in this thread yet.

Time is $$$.

When my first iPhne 6S Plus died, I had to order a new one, ship it back home, drive 1,000 miles back home to pick it up, and then start using it.

Had I known about AppleCare, in that particular situation, I could have basically done what you mention above.

Now had I been in Timbucktoo when my iPhone died, then your point wouldn't apply so much.

But based on a few earlier comments, it sounds like when you do have to warranty with Apple via AppleCare+, they are very responsive and will help you to get back on the road - on in my case back out shooting video - ASAP.

 

[matt_and_187_like_this]

100% No

 

[TwoLaneHighway]

You could have paid for an out of warranty repair. It would have been more than AppleCare but you wouldn't have had the $800 total loss.

I was told by a certified Apple repair store that it would cost me more to fix my iPhone than to buy a new one.

Maybe they gave bad advice?

It seems to me that I called Apple about this and was told "Tough luck..." (This probably explains my less than stellar view of Apple Sales & Support that I mentioned in another thread which seemed to really piss off some other posters. But how would you feel if you spent $800, let a new phone sit in a box for over a year, then start using it, and it died?)

I can't fix the past or any bad advice or decisions, but moving forward - at least for now - I decided that AppleCare+ made sense.

I think @BigMcGuire's advice above is the best way for me to look at things...

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/is-applecare-worth-the-added-expense.2308803/post-30215526

 

[TwoLaneHighway]

This. The house always wins.

If my first ever Apple product is anything to go by, save your money.

It was a 2011 MBP. The battery lasted over 2000 cycles in 8 years...

To be clear, the context of this thread relates to iPhones. (My apologies for not stating that earlier.)

If this was for a desktop or a laptop, then I agree with you.

Although for the new Apple laptops - where everything is soldered onto the logic board - I think AppleCare makes sense also.

 

[EuroChilli]

To be clear, the context of this thread relates to iPhones. (My apologies for not stating that earlier.)

If this was for a desktop or a laptop, then I agree with you.

Although for the new Apple laptops - where everything is soldered onto the logic board - I think AppleCare makes sense also.

Right, which is why I also mentioned my iPhone 5 and 2nd gen iPod.

To be honest, I’m just a little nervous about having an M1 Air without care, but when I replace my current 1st gen iPhone SE with maybe a 12 mini, I’m still not sure I’ll get care.

For the record, I’m not anti insurance, just maybe anti in certain situations. At the end of the day, just do what you feel suits your pocket / consider the financial risks you’re willing to take.

 

[EuroChilli]

Been thinking a bit more about this.

I would only really consider some kind of insurance depending on the price of the item, and not what the item is. An iPhone 12 Max Pro goes for €1300 this side of the pond, not small change, but still not as much as an apartment or car.

If Apple Care offered month/yearly repair insurance for things such as water damage, or sitting on it, for as long as I owned the device, and if it was used to earn a living, sure, I would consider it.

 

[jazz1]

It’s an insurance, it never seems worth it, until you need it. Personally I don’t buy AppleCare+ for iPhone, as mine is always in a case and with a screen protector and I’m careful with it. I never had an accident in almost a decade of using iPhones. But accidents can happen, and if so, it will be a costly repair for me. It depends your budget, your willingness to take the risk and how careful you are with your devices

I guess I'm a sucker, as I usually buy AppleCare on all my devices. Accidents aren't always the reason for failure. Component failure almost seems more likely for me, as I am pretty careful with my stuff.

Even under the original warranty, I find that Apple seems to be less questioning, and more willing, to fix or replace things when AppleCare is on the table. I suppose if I just saved all the money I spend of AppleCare, I might in the long term be better off?

Another factor is of course how long you hang on to the devices and/or how long you keep them before upgrading.

 

[millerj123]

Since they push it, they come out ahead most of the time. I didn't know how my watch would fare, so I got AppleCare for it. Waste of money for me. With electronics, most of the time it'll fail fairly quickly if it's going to.

 

[Spetsgruppa]

I have never bought AppleCare before because in Indonesia it doesnt matter what insurance i get my phone and i still have to go through all the trouble to get my phone repaired. Not to forget the months of waiting just to get the battery replaced. But if AppleCare works in your country,then go for it.

 

[Matcha]

It varies person to person, Me personality I don't need it because I'm really careful for my Apple products but my sister on the other hand recently her iPad Pro 2018 was stolen, Apple replaced it with a 2020 model for deductible and over night shipping.