iPhone 12 Pro Is it worth taking out Apple care ?

[Andeddu]

Its "insurance." Freak accidents happen. Its no different than car insurance, renters/homeowners insurance. Its there to protect you incase there is an issue. Plus AC covers battery replacements; which alone can run at least $79. Then there is the added benefit of Express Replacement. New device overnighted at no additional cost.

Also, from personal experience, when you have AC and you are just outside your warranty window, Apple is usually more lenient. I've had multiple devices (iOS and MacOS) replaced for free outside warranty window because I had previously purchased AC. I have certainly received the benefit of paying a couple extra hundred dollars.

Regarding the original post, I never get carrier insurance. Its usually overpriced and you get some cheaply refurbished replacement device with a $200 deductible. AppleCare is the only way.

Freak accidents can happen however they are mathematically unlikely. Car and home insurance are different matters as you are required to have third party insurance as a driver and the destruction of your home could ruin your life if you aren’t insured.

How often are you going to drop your phone and destroy it if you have a case and screen protector? I have dropped all my past and present iPhones and iPads on concrete or hardwood floors repeatedly with zero damage so the reality is <1%. I would not be paying hundreds of dollars for AC when a case and screen protector can give me around 99% protection from accidents. Batteries are an issue however you must get them below 80% within 2 years otherwise they’ll refuse to replace them which is a challenge even for someone like me. I got my 6S to 82% and my 8 to 84% after two years of use for each and I charged the devices to 100% and drained them to <10% each day.

AC is profitable for Apple which is why they provide the service. I certainly won’t be giving them money for mere “piece of mind” when there are very effective ways to mitigate any damage to my possessions.

 

[Andeddu]

Many (most?) countries provide only a year. Logic board replacements; failed keyboard and ports; etc. can be quite expensive, yet easily covered by AC for years 2 and 3. Well worth it for many people, especially given varying quality control over the years.

My place of business provides it for my laptops and I've used it several times, saving thousands of dollars, on component failures and manufacturing defects.



I assume you didn't mean anything by your lede, but “I take care of my belongings” has always troubled me in these discussions of Apple Care. It comes off as smug and patronizing — and suggests that others, especially those who get Apple Care, are careless people who don't take care of their valuables!

Plus, as the stock prospectuses say, “Past performance is no guarantee of future results!” Come tomorrow you may wish you had it!

As Mirollin noted, accidents happen. Dogs, cats, youngsters, inadvertent spills, roommates, walks across campus or on city streets, others bumping into you, etc.

I'm very careful of my belongings, but I know that life happens so I typically get Apple Care, especially on portable expensive devices. Now, it pays to determine out of pocket repair costs, and the fairly large deductibles, to see whether the cost-benefit ratio is to your liking.

But categorically dismissing AC as “not required” — because the products come with a 1-year warranty (sometimes 2) or because one insists one is “careful” — is ignoring the out years, other people's situations, and even being a tad myopic or overgeneralizing!

I appreciate where you are coming from but I don’t agree. If you have a lemon of a product, you really should be seeing issues within 1 year of use which will fall within the period of the manufacturer’s warranty. The chances of having a perfectly working device for an entire year and for it to fail unexpectedly is miniscule. I have been using tech my entire life and it has NEVER happened to me. Even the 1984 Macintosh I have as my avatar picture works perfectly 38 years after being built. There is no way on Earth that I will pay around $150-$200 to insure an iPhone for 2 years. These devices will last a decade without any issue if you are able to treat them properly. Now, like I have explained, I have accidents too and drop my phone regularly which is why I use cases and screen protectors. So unless you work in a volatile non-office environment or are into extreme sports, there is no requirement for AC.

 

[Total Respray]

Overall (ie. on average), the mathematics of insurance always favours the insurer over the insured.

 

[kevcube]

We need to be careful how we obtain AC or AC+ —- If a user gets a TMO protection plan, that includes and largely depends on AC, it costs $18 per month on an Eye Phone 13. Two years of this plan costs (18 x 24) $432. Get AC+ independently of the carrier, and it runs $200 or so. If you’re like us (me and the lovely missus), the TMO protection plans cost a combined $864 = the cost of a replacement iPhone, so what’s the point? Mathematics says: Get the AC+ directly from Apple. Don’t inflate the carrier’s profit margin unnecessarily.

/end rant

it's pretty simple. only pay cell carriers for cell service. don't buy phones from them, don't buy accessories from them... etc.

the phone buying experience is awful, I had a friend buy a phone and the assistant just rapid-clicked through setup, chose their country as "Angola" because it was the first alphabetical country, their App Store was messed up for months and they were so pissed with their iPhone because phone attendants assume their customers are tech illiterate, when the employee may very well be that person.

This was a mid-20s woman buying the phone, not my grandma. Even still, for my grandpa I bought him an iPhone SE and made him set it up, because it's EASY! and he needs to be comfortable using the phone anyway, so he needs to feel a sense of ownership over its configuration.

 

[CPTmom2wp]

Its "insurance." Freak accidents happen. Its no different than car insurance, renters/homeowners insurance. Its there to protect you incase there is an issue. Plus AC covers battery replacements; which alone can run at least $79. Then there is the added benefit of Express Replacement. New device overnighted at no additional cost.

Also, from personal experience, when you have AC and you are just outside your warranty window, Apple is usually more lenient. I've had multiple devices (iOS and MacOS) replaced for free outside warranty window because I had previously purchased AC. I have certainly received the benefit of paying a couple extra hundred dollars.

Regarding the original post, I never get carrier insurance. Its usually overpriced and you get some cheaply refurbished replacement device with a $200 deductible. AppleCare is the only way.

Agree and appreciate all of the above comments. I have only had one screen broken, slid out of pocket onto hard concrete, but it was easily covered. Have found that having AC has resulted in getting help for tech problems and in having Apple take your issue seriously, promptly, and efficiently. I was only unhappy with them when my last MBP screen started to delaminate and was told it was past the 4 year period, so not covered. In the "old" days, Apple literally replaced a 3 year old, 17" MBP when a part was delayed beyond 3 months. So while not as good as in the past, AC still beats the competition. Best of all, those two instances of needing AC are all I've ever needed for hardware problems. Cost effective??, Nope. Do I purchase other extended warranties?? Nope. But the peace of mind we have for multiple Apple products is worth it to us.

 

[snak-atak]

I bought the AppleCare for 2 years cover is it worth it ? It is £9-49 a month.

All insurance plans no matter what they are, are based on odds and probability. It’s designed to make the insurance provider profitable. So typically, the average person who buys insurance will not use it, or not to the extent that they paid for it. Sure there will be some cases where it pays off to have insurance, but in most cases, the house will win.

Everyone has to make their own decision. For me, life insurance and health insurance is extremely important because I am the primary provider for my family. There’s a lot to lose if I am unable to work. But I have enough in savings to cover the loss of a phone or other electronic device should the worst happens to my phone or computer. I can cover that cost without insurance, although I am happy to say that I have not had to cover such a cost. When it comes to my phones, a good case and screen protector has been all I needed.

 

[Mlrollin91]

Agree and appreciate all of the above comments. I have only had one screen broken, slid out of pocket onto hard concrete, but it was easily covered. Have found that having AC has resulted in getting help for tech problems and in having Apple take your issue seriously, promptly, and efficiently. I was only unhappy with them when my last MBP screen started to delaminate and was told it was past the 4 year period, so not covered. In the "old" days, Apple literally replaced a 3 year old, 17" MBP when a part was delayed beyond 3 months. So while not as good as in the past, AC still beats the competition. Best of all, those two instances of needing AC are all I've ever needed for hardware problems. Cost effective??, Nope. Do I purchase other extended warranties?? Nope. But the peace of mind we have for multiple Apple products is worth it to us.

I had Apple replace my 2011 iMac in 2014 (after AppleCare expired); they then replaced that 2014 in 2018 after AppleCare had expired; and lastly they replaced that 2018 in 2021, again after AppleCare expired. They even upgraded it from a 21.5" to a 27".

I essentially bought a $1499 iMac + $179 for Applecare in 2011; and then bought AppleCare for $179 every three years and now have a 2021 27" iMac. I've also had my AirPods Pro replaced and an iPad Air 2, all after AppleCare expired but because I had purchased it, they gave me the benefit. Certainly ones milage may vary, but based on my experiences, its a no brainer.

Also, the new Macs are insanely expensive, $249 is well worth saving $1000 2 years down the road if the logic board fails. (Logical board failures was the reasoning for all my replacement iMacs - the 2018 had 4 failures in 3 months + covid delays, I was without the machine for about 5 months so they sent me the 27").

 

[HDFan]

1. Saved money. AC replaced multiple iPhones which had some sort of software issue which they couldn't fix as well as an iPad where I somehow messed up a USB port.

2. Loss coverage. The assurance that I don't have to worry about it being lost or stolen makes it worth it for me. Otherwise I would always worry about it when I travel.

 

[anthony13]

defect or damage?

I ran over it with my car. Accident.

 

[klasma]

You should do a back-of-the-envelope risk calculation of when you own x devices over a period of n years, how often do you expect any of them having to be replaced under AC terms, and then calculate the cost of those replacements with and without having AC for all of the devices. Usually a small enough fraction of the devices have to be replaced that always buying AC for all of the devices ends up being more expensive overall. At least that's my experience over more than a decade now. Of course it can still be worth it for "peace of mind" even when it's more expensive in total, that's for you to decide.

 

[StaceyMJ86]

I love the peace of mind knowing I have insurance for my phone and other Apple products. Even though I use a case and screen protector, I don’t have the time to go into the Apple store and have my phone repaired or replaced.

 

[dreamerstree]

Warranty is good for a year on that stuff in the US, longer in many other areas.

If you keep your phone longer than a year, like many do, it’s worth it.

 

[Juicy Box]

If you keep your phone longer than a year, like many do, it’s worth it.

For warranty, non-battery related problems, those typically manifest themselves early on.

Besides, just like any other insurance, AC is only “worth it” if there is a problem, otherwise it is a waste of money.

I am not trying to deter anyone from getting AC, just saying that it isn’t always needed. People have to weigh their risk, which varies greatly depending on the person and situation.

I saw a post the other day from someone saying they got AC for their Apple TV. Of course, something can happen to it, but AC probably isn’t needed for an Apple TV for most people.

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

Its a judgment call based on how well you take care of your devices and how likely you think they are to fail.

I don’t buy AC for my iPhones, MacBooks, Watch or AirPods, but I do buy it for my iMac.

I’ve had faults on both of the iMacs I’ve owned, some of which Apple were very helpful with, and some they weren’t.

I now have the M1 iMac, so it’s a new chip technology, too. Apple Care was a must for me on that one.

I use protective cases for my iPhones and MacBooks.

 

[izzy0242mr]

I bought the AppleCare for 2 years cover is it worth it ? It is £9-49 a month.

I never buy phones new, so I don't ever risk losing $1000 on a phone because I never spend that much to begin with.

If I did, I'd consider it. Arguably, AC makes more sense on devices you're spending lots of money on. But if you're like the average user who upgrades their phone every 2 years whether they need to or not, or someone who's very hard on their devices, it's more of a waste.

I've personally never broken a phone in the entire decade I've owned smartphones. And I've owned a lot of models, never once broken a single one. So it's not something I'd buy.

 

[AlexJ092]

My iPhone developed a fault with the camera a couple of weeks ago. I went through all the diagnostics with Apple and nothing solved the issue. As I have AppleCare+ they sent a new iPhone right away! Worth the price

 

[dreamerstree]

In Europe it is covered by a compulsory 2-year warranty.

I wish it were like that in the US, but it isn't.

 

[dreamerstree]

For warranty, non-battery related problems, those typically manifest themselves early on.

Besides, just like any other insurance, AC is only “worth it” if there is a problem, otherwise it is a waste of money.

I am not trying to deter anyone from getting AC, just saying that it isn’t always needed. People have to weigh their risk, which varies greatly depending on the person and situation.

I saw a post the other day from someone saying they got AC for their Apple TV. Of course, something can happen to it, but AC probably isn’t needed for an Apple TV for most people.

You're not wrong. However, 9 years behind the Genius Bar showed me that it definitely happens plenty outside of that first year. I do agree that getting AC on an Apple TV or something like that is usually not worth it, even with how inexpensive AC is for those items. For the phones, iPads, and computers, I recommend it 110%.

 

[boomhower]

Yes! I keep AppleCare on everything but my watch, well so I thought. Since between me, my wife and my daughter we have tons of AppleCare+ charges hitting every month. Couple weeks ago I got water damage to my 12.9 iPad Pro. Not big deal, pay the small charge and get a new refurb. Come to find out I paid for two years when I bought and missed the email or notification to go month to month when the two years was up. That error lead to a $649 cost to get it replaced. Not fun, 100% would not recommend.

 

[Dnzilla]

I thought of it as an alternative to getting an overpriced case for MBA.. pretty tempted.

 

[Splitrail]

I thought of it as an alternative to getting an overpriced case for MBA.. pretty tempted.

Does Applecare cover physical damage, or just defects?
Does an overpriced case cover defects?
What's the difference in price and coverage?
Are you comparing "apples" to oranges?

 

[jav6454]

I would, saves some cash on accidental drops.

 

[lleial]

In Europe it is covered by a compulsory 2-year warranty.

Here in Spain they recently passed a law which now gives us consumers 3 years of warranty.

 

[jaymc]

And here in Australia it's two years for phones and three for computers. Our consumer watchdog had to compel Apple to honour that (and to make it clearer to customers that that was the law).

So here you really only need it for the recently added accidental damage cover, but you can still compare to other insurance options.

Is that why iPhones in Australia and Europe cost more? Hmmm.

 

[Fatus_Asticus]

Is that why iPhones in Australia and Europe cost more? Hmmm.

Its more about VAT, shipping, currency conversions and other supply chain cost increases