If you just shelled out $350 for Apple’s phenomenally sounding HomePod speaker, we have one small bit of advice: Get AppleCare+!
Trust us, HomePod is not a speaker you want to break. And the replacement price without AppleCare+ is absolutely insane.
Apple will charge customers $279 to repair or replace a damanged or broken HomePod. The new HomePod support site reveals that there is no charge if the issue is covered under warranty, AppleCare+, or consumer law. If your issue isn’t covered, you’ll pay an out-of-warranty service fee.
AppleCare+ for the HomePod only costs $39. It gives you two years of coverage from the original purchase date of your HomePod and adds up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage. So if you accidentally dunk your HomePod in the pool, you just pay a $39 service fee to get a new one.
Considering a brand new HomePod costs $350, it makes a lot of sense to only pay $78 for a possible replacement unit in stead of being on the hook for $279 if disaster happens.
HomePod units started shipping out to customers today. Shipping times have already started slipping to 5-6 days out in some locations. You can also pick one up from your local Apple Store.
