TL;DR - it depends what you break, and how bad you break it!! Sometimes Applecare+ is a steal and you are lucky you got it. Sometimes you will be paying almost $700 for a basic repair. Did you break your machine in a way where I can salvage what you have, or did you break it in a way where I have to replace everything? If you did the former, you're almost always better off with a good independent. If the latter, Applecare+ would've been the way to go.
When it comes to warranties, that's where I'm going to be talking out of my ass. I 100% admit I do not keep up to date on this and don't have much knowledge on it at all, so take with a grain of salt.
The OLD Applecare that I remember back when I started doing this in 2008 wasn't a great deal. From what I remember, you had zero coverage for accidental damage. It was just an extended warranty that extends you to the warranty that other countries with halfway decent consumer law give you to begin with. You still got quoted $700+ for a screen back then even if you had applecare. This left a bad taste in a lot of people's mouths. I universally suggested people stay away from this plan.
Apple listened to consumer feedback and it got a lot better. Now it's more like an insurance plan... Applecare+ covers accidental damage incidents if you paid a deductible The last time I went over the pricing of this was over
5 years ago. It was $379ish from what I remember to buy applecare, and $299 for a deductible. From what I see, the same
$299 deductible exists and pricing is
$179-$399 for 3 years of base coverage. It can actually be a good deal, and a way better deal than ANY independent service center,
depending on how you broke the machine!
In 2018 when I wrote that page for my site, if you had a machine where I could fix the board - I was a better deal, every time. If you had a machine where your board was unfixable & needed replacement, applecare+ w/ deductible was a better deal. It seems like that is still the case.
Some examples:
Where we beat Applecare+:
Let's say you have a 16" Macbook Pro. $399 for 3 years base coverage, $299 deductible. That means a liquid damaged board repair will cost you $698 through apple, vs $325-$425 through us. Applecare loses. That same repair can be found cheaper if you find a place that has lower payroll than we do. Also keep in mind this is only for the first 3 years - after that, you're on your own unless you keep renewing. In this scenario, We are the better deal. The price is lower, and the price stays lower for longer.
Where Applecare+ beats us:
Let's say you got water on the power supply for the T2. T2 got 12v. CPU got 12v. GPU got 12v. This board is toast. I can't fix it, I can only replace it, and it costs over $1200... Applecare will cost you $698 for the entire repair, which is hundreds less than my parts cost of the board.
AND, Apple will cover everything else that's wrong with the machine. Applecare is a way better deal in this case.
Where we beat Applecare+:
Let's say your issue with the machine is nothing but... an angle sensor.... a sub-$300 repair. BUT... but.. it has liquid damage on it! Even though the rest of the machine is liquid free... they're not having it. You have to pay the full rate for a liquid damage repair. You're stuck paying $698 through Applecare+,
and it has to be in the first 3 years. That's harsh. We charge less than half that and it would be the same whether you're 3 years in or 7 years in. Actually cheaper 7 years in because parts cost is cheaper, machine is older & easier to work on once more familiar with it, etc.
Where Applecare+ beats us:
If you have any uncertainty about the quality of the independent repairers in your area and just don't want to deal with going outside of Apple, the price premium of Apple would make sense.
Again, Applecare+ is faaaar from what it was back in 2008. I remember people getting quoted $1200 for display assemblies because of a cracked screen back when a grade A+ screen from a factory unopened AUO box was $77. Apple had zero mercy for the customer that they paid $300+ for Applecare when they bought the machine.. the $300 would cover the screen and $200+ on top in labor... but they still wanted $1200. It was a crazy time.
Apple listened to their customers and came up with a far less crappy system, which is a good thing for you all. Applecare+ of 2023 is a far cry from the Applecare of 2008 when I started doing this, shortly before registering on this forum
If you're careless, I would get Applecare+ and keep renewing it every year. If you are not careless, I wouldn't. It's impossible to say whether it is a good deal without specific future-vision into
how you will damage your machine.
arstechnica.com
www.theverge.com
www.tomshardware.com
