While not every extended warranty is worth buying, a protection plan for a daily device like a phone or computer is not such a bad idea. While Apple used to sell its pre-paid AppleCare+ plans at retail locations, the company is abandoning that practice in favor of its subscription model.
Apple Is Pushing Its AppleCare+ Subscription
According to an X post by Bloomberg Chief Correspondent Mark Gurman, Apple will soon be “dropping” its multi-year AppleCare+ plan, allowing you to buy two to three years of protection up front, from storefront locations.
As the name suggests, AppleCare+ extends your hardware’s first-party warranty plan, or AppleCare, that comes free with your purchase. According to Apple Support, most Apple products will come with “a one-year limited warranty and up to 90 days of complimentary technical support.” AppleCare+ extends that time for which your Apple product is eligible.
This reported change will affect you if you typically purchase Apple products in person, along with a pre-paid AppleCare+ plan. While a multi-year AppleCare+ plan will no longer be available to buy at a physical store, it will still be available on the online store. So, if I want to buy an iPad on Apple’s website, I can still add two years of coverage during checkout.
However, the option displayed before this two-year, pre-paid plan is a monthly AppleCare+ subscription, which bills separately. Even though the two-year plan at $69 flat will ultimately save me about $15, compared to two years at $3.49/month, it certainly feels enticing to spread the cost out over time.
The prices of AppleCare+ plans depend on the product.
Down With the OTP (One-Time Purchase)
Between the reduction in multi-year coverage options and the arrangement of the Apple website’s user interface, it’s pretty clear that Apple is pushing the AppleCare+ subscription model. I wouldn’t be surprised if Apple did away with the two or three-year deals completely. Frankly, it’s the direction most tech services are moving.
On the one hand, I don’t hate the idea of subscriptions, particularly the flexibility they provide. In the US, most of us are used to paying a monthly premium for health insurance, so paying monthly (or annually) for the health of our hardware sort of makes sense, too. In return, we’re covered when disaster strikes—usually.
On the other hand, it seems like an easy way for Apple to quietly siphon money while we look the other way. I can’t be the only one who loses track of mounting subscriptions. I would venture to guess that most customers who buy two years of AppleCare+ up front don’t re-up at the end of their term. Conversely, an AppleCare+ subscriber may hold on to that monthly plan for a long time, either out of comfort or forgetfulness.
At the end of the day, AppleCare coverage is a decent product that will suit some people better than others. Whether it’s a one-time purchase (OTP) or a subscription, it’s best to do some light risk analysis to decide whether you even need AppleCare+ at all. If you, like me, move less gracefully through life, protection plans do typically pay for themselves.
