Is AppleCare One a Good Deal?
The eternal question in consumer electronics: Should I get the extended warranty?
That question has a new twist when it comes to Apple products. The company just announced and debuted AppleCare One. It’s an all-inclusive extended warranty that covers three Apple devices. Is it actually a good deal? Let’s break it down.
What does AppleCare One include?
AppleCare One costs $19.99 per month and covers any three devices—iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, etc.
The warranty covers these things:
- Unlimited repairs for accidental drops and spills
- 24/7 priority support from Apple experts
- Apple-certified service
- Battery coverage
- Theft and loss protection for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch
Other details:
- Additional devices (beyond the three) can be added for $5.99 per device, per month.
- When a device covered by AppleCare One is traded in, it’s automatically removed from the plan, and the new device is added.
- The devices all need to be on the same Apple Account, meaning it's not really a fit for families.
Is AppleCare One a good deal?
If you don’t have three devices or don’t want to cover more than one, you can still buy AppleCare+ individually. These are the prices that AppleCare+ starts at for the different kinds of products.
- iPhone - $99.99/year
- iPad - $49.99/year
- Apple Watch - $29.99/year
- Mac - $34.99/year
- AirPods - $14.99/year
- HomePod - $9.99/year
- Display - $49.99/year
- Apple TV - $9.99/year
- Vision Pro - $249.99/year
At the base level, it’s still cheaper to buy AppleCare+ for an iPhone, iPad, and Mac ($184.97) than it is to get the new plan. However, the AppleCare+ cost for an iPhone 16 Pro model is $139.99/year—$40 more than the base iPhone 16. An iMac costs $59.99/year, and an Apple Watch Ultra costs $49.99/year. The One plan becomes a better deal when you are covering more expensive products.
Owners of a Vision Pro have the ultimate leg up since it’s cheaper to buy AppleCare One for the Vision Pro alone than it is to get the individual AppleCare+.
Should you buy AppleCare One?
As easy as it is to say, never buy the extended warranty, the truth is that it really depends on the person and circumstances.
Paying $240/year for AppleCare One, plus $150 deductible if the device is lost or stolen, is a lot cheaper than forking out another $1,100+ for a new phone.
Those prone to buying extended care for their Apple products should consider the new One plan. It seems convenient for repeat shoppers. But I don't think AppleCare One does anything particularly interesting enough to lure people who never buy the care.
Then again, people who have a Vision Pro (and take it out of the house) should probably buy AppleCare One without giving it a second thought. Those are the people destined to save some money.
