AppleCare is Apple’s warranty and tech support service that covers new products. AppleCare+ is an optional insurance program that covers accidental damage or a battery that drops to less than 80% capacity while your device is covered.
“Most Apple hardware comes with a 1-year limited warranty and up to 90 days of complimentary technical support,” says Apple’s product support page. “To extend your coverage further, purchase AppleCare+.”
AppleCare+ serves as an extended warranty for your Apple product. It ensures you will receive 24/7 support from Apple’s experts in addition to discounted repairs. You can buy AppleCare+ for iPhone, Mac, iPad (which also covers Apple Pencil and Apple iPad keyboard), Apple Watch, HomePod, Vision Pro and Apple displays and headphones.
Check AppleCare+ prices and device eligibility on Apple’s website.
Pay $19.99 per month to protect three Apple devices. Photo: Apple
Like Apple One, Apple on Wednesday introduced a new AppleCare bundle for protecting multiple Apple devices. Dubbed AppleCare One, it extends the warranty and provides accidental damage protection to three Apple devices.
Pricing starts from $19.99 per month, with an option to add more devices by paying an additional $5.99 per device every month.
Regretting not having AppleCare+ after you broke your iPhone screen? You get another shot at it. Graphic: Apple
Anyone who ever paid to have their Mac or iPhone fixed, and then kicked themselves for not having AppleCare+, reportedly will get a second chance to buy the breakage insurance coverage.
That would help cover the cost of any future repairs.
Fixing a broken iPhone 12 out of warranty isn't cheap. Photo: Apple
iPhone 12 users will have to cough up more cash should they need to replace the handset’s new Ceramic Shield display. The price of a new screen has risen by $80 compared to that for last year’s iPhone 11.
However, it should be more difficult to break iPhone 12’s screen, thanks to tougher glass. And you do get a lot more for your money.
All these Apple products can be protected with AppleCare+. Photo: Apple
Apple just made its AppleCare+ breakage insurance cover more accidents. In some cases, twice and even three times as many.
The program now offers deeply-discounted repairs on two accidents for every twelve months of coverage. Previously, it only covered a total of two repairs.
Notebook shipments could fall by as much as 36%. Photo: Apple
There are some interesting surprises with the 16-inch MacBook Pro that you won’t find in Apple’s press release. So we’ve rounded up the big ones here so you don’t miss anything before buying.
Some of these things are nice surprises. But be warned that others will leave you a little disappointed.
This may be too far gone for a warranty repair. Photo: Charlie Sorrel/Cult of Mac
iOS 12.2 brought many changes and additions to the iPhone and iPad — four new Animoji (giraffe! boar!), better-quality voice messages — but one handy new feature may go unnoticed unless you know where to look. Now, you can check the expiration date of your iPhone or iPad warranty right there on the device itself.
This isn’t what your iPhone XS Max should look like after 3 weeks. Photo: J. Hillard/iDrop News
An Ohio man is contemplating legal action against Apple after his 3-week-old iPhone XS Max allegedly exploded in his pocket.
J. Hillard reports that his iPhone XS Max started emitting a strange smell before he felt a “large amount of heat” in his pocket. He eventually got a new device from Apple — as well as burns on his buttocks.
Apple has quietly increased the price of its AppleCare+ warranty plan for Apple Watch Series 4.
It will cost $79 to cover the company’s latest wearable — $30 more than AppleCare+ for an Apple Watch Series 3. However, buyers now have the option to pay for the service monthly.
Apple’s optional insurance program fixes your iPhone if you break it, but you’ve been out of luck if your device gets stolen. Not any more. Apple just introduced AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss.
There’s a drawback: this plan is shockingly expensive.
Hacker who tried to extort Apple for $100k is spared prison Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
The latest phishing scam targets iCloud users, trying to scare them into installing malicious software on their iOS devices.
Some users have received emails recently that push them to fake Apple Support websites. Once there, the sites prompt them to call “Apple Care” because their devices are supposedly “locked for illegal activity.” Here’s how to avoid the scam.
Apple will make you pay for faulty speakers. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
You now have to pay to have faulty iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus speakers repaired by Apple.
The company’s unofficial repair program, which offered free fixes for those who were unable to activate the speaker function during calls, has now ended, according to multiple sources.
Brazil demands easy iPhone battery replacements. Photo: iFixit
Apple has offered iPhone customers yet another apology for intentionally slowing down the CPU on some older iPhone models in order to increase overall performance.
In a letter to customers this afternoon, Apple explained that it added a feature in iOS 10.1.2 that successfully reduced the occurrence of unexpected shutdowns on iPhones. Apple was able to do so by lowering CPU performance so that it drew less power from older batteries, but the company is now offering an olive branch to customers: cheap battery replacements.
Don't lock yourself to a carrier -- buy your iPhone X from Apple instead. Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac
It might not seem like it at the time, but buying an iPhone for full price upfront is probably the cheapest option. Swallowing the $1,000 purchase price of an unlocked iPhone X isn’t easy. However, you won’t wind up tied to carrier contracts that trap you for a year or two. Plus, you can pick a cheap, $10-per-month prepaid data plan instead.
In the European Union, Apple sells unlocked phones from the get-go. If you buy a new iPhone from Apple on launch day, it will not come tied to a carrier. In the United States, SIM-free iPhones usually go on sale a few weeks after launch.
Today we’ll look at how and where you can buy a SIM-free, unlocked iPhone.
The iPhone X is water-resistant. Just don't drop it. Image: Apple
If you are among the millions of Apple fans that just preordered the new iPhone X, here’s one piece of advice: Whatever you do, don’t break it.
Apple updated its webpage for the pricing on out-of-warranty repairs, and the iPhone X shatters the record when it comes to screen repairs and other damage.
Your iPhone X is on its way. Now make sure you're prepared. Photo: Apple
You have one week to wait for your new iPhone X preorder to arrive (if you’re one of the lucky ones). There are some things you should be doing during that time to ensure you’re all set for delivery day.
You can thank Microsoft for this... apparently. Photo: Apple
Apple says it will service “functional issues” on Smart Keyboards for the iPad Pro for up to three years, according to internal memos sent to Apple stores and service providers recently.
The company, in the memo sent last week, acknowledged that some Smart Keyboard owners experienced stuck or unresponsive keys as well as non-working Smart Connectors. Apple says it will fix any qualifying keyboards free of charge within three years of the date of purchase. The company will also give a refund to any customer who already paid for service on a Smart Keyboard.
If you’ve purchased a new iPhone in the last 12 months but failed to buy AppleCare+ to protect it, Apple is ready to cut you a break.
Apple has decided to extend the period in which iPhone buyers can get AppleCare+ to one full year from the data of purchase, after previously only letting you buy it within 60 days.
There was good news all around as iPhone sales, services and even the Mac all performed better than predicted. During today’s earnings call, Tim Cook and Apple CFO Luca Maestri revealed some of the secret sauce that made Apple’s earnings one for the history books.
If you want the latest, greatest and biggest Apple laptop, grab one of these deals. Photo: Apple
Those looking for the lowest prices available on Apple’s latest 15-inch MacBook Pros with Touch Bar can save up to $415 on laptops bundled with AppleCare or up to $250 on the systems alone using the coupon code below.
With this promo code, you'll save big on a MacBook Pro with Touch Bar. Photo: Apple
A new year means new savings on Apple’s latest 13-inch MacBook Pros with Touch Bar. Use the coupon code below to save up to $299 on MacBook Pros bundled with AppleCare or up to $200 on the laptops alone.
Crack! Apple's replacement program is facing a lawsuit. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Apple was hit with a new class action lawsuit today in California by customers who have purchased the company’s AppleCare and AppleCare+ plans to cover damages on iPhones and iPads.
At the heart of the lawsuit is Apple’s long-held policy to replace broken devices with units that the company claims are good as new in performance and reliability, even though they’re second-hand refurbished models.
It's gonna break... we'll tell you how to protect your tech on the cheap. Photo: Unbox Therapy
This week on The CultCast: The best ways to get your gadgets the protection you want, but without those high AppleCare prices! Plus: The iPhone 7 might pack more storage than you expected; taking over Tidal could mean CD-quality streaming is coming to Apple Music; hands on with the iOS 10 and macOS Sierra betas; “the Fappening” hacker heads to the slammer; and this year’s iPhone Photography Award winners prove your iPhone is all your need to create captivating images.
Our thanks to Casper for supporting this episode. Casper’s American-made mattresses have just the right amount of memory foam and latex, and people everywhere love them. Learn why and save $50 off your order at casper.com/cultcast.
Crack! This one's got to go back to Apple. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Apple is making it cheaper to repair broken Apple Watch Sport units that are no longer under warranty.
In an updated support document covering Apple Watch warranty services and pricing, the company revealed the out-of-warranty service fee on the Sport model has dropped $30.