Every iPhone comes with one year of hardware repair coverage through its limited warranty and up to 90 days of technical support.
Now, users have a new option: AppleCare+ for iPhone (US$99) extends repair coverage and technical support to two years from the original purchase date of your iPhone and adds coverage for up to two incidents of accidental damage due to handling, each subject to a $49 service fee.* Whether you use iPhone with a Mac or a PC, just one phone call can help resolve most issues.
Read more at Apple Store Online here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
Having to pay an additional 49 on top of the 99 is lame. I wouldn’t mind paying the 99, but double dipping. Fail.
Verizon’s “insurance” runs $12/month, $199 deductible. Easy math problem here. Sign me up! (When I get my ip5 next year…) Until then, I’m stuck.
If Applcare is worthits weight in gold, AppleCare+ is worth it’s weight in platinum covered gold.
I don’t understand this. If you completely destroy your iPhone, you can bring it to the Apple store and have it replaced for $199. Am I wrong? So purchasing AppleCare for $99 and then each incident is $49 = $150… Is the $50 savings worth it for something that may or may not happen? Perhaps I don’t understand the math here…
@LR
You’re looking at it the wrong way. This is only $20 more than regular iPhone Applecare. It still gives you the warranty defect and phone support for no cost beyond the $20. The $49 is only for accidents. So for $20 more for the warranty, you potentially save $149 off the cost of a replacement phone if there’s an accident with it.
I suspect this is Apple realizing that they’re replacing a shit-ton of iPhones under Applecare for accidents anyways, so they might as well make it official.
I just bought Applecare for my 9-month-old iPhone 4, but I haven’t registered it yet (wanted to wait on the off-chance the new phone was compelling enough for me to upgrade early), so I think I’ll be swapping this out for the Applecare+ if it’s available in Canada. It would be interesting if they offered this option on their other products (i.e. macs) as well, as brands like Asus have it standard, and brands like Toshiba allow you to add it for extra cost.
Sorry, should be $30 more in US, I was thinking of $79 Canadian price on Applecare for iPhone.
Yes, you are wrong because getting an iPhone for $199 requires a NEW 2-year service contract (as with most other smartphones). So, if you buy a new 4S and smash it a week later, you’re ALREADY on 2-year contract so although you certainly could buy a new 4S at $199, it would have a NEW contract (so you’d be paying double monthly bills to Verizon, AT&T or whoeve).
With AppleCare , they’ll replace it for $49, no second/new contract required. I’m not a big fan of extended warranties, but this one is actually pretty tempting…
Actually, my understanding is that currently Apple charges $199 to replace an iPhone that has been accidentally damaged without requiring a renewed contract, although they have also been known to wave this fee entirely (especially if you’ve purchased Applecare).
You can have it replaced for $199 ONLY if you have AppleCare or are still under warranty.
The extra $49 fee only appears to be for accidental damage and is similar but better than the excess that I have to pay if I claim on my existing insurance for accidental damage. .
If they offer this deal in th UK at a sensible price, I’ll switch instantly because it’s a lot better and cheaper than the insurance that I currently have.
Apple care can be extremely useful. More often you will hear people receiving helpful service long after the extended warranty coverage has expired, sometimes for a ridiculously nominal fee if not free even.
They mention the higher charges to deter certain people having higher expectations and taking advantage of it; but more often they’ll go the extra distance for you.
Finally, the iPhone prices are often carrier subsidised; the unlocked price can be over 600+ USD.
I lost my IPhone 3G with apple care, and had to purchase a new 3G at the cost of $549 if I wanted to keep the same number or get a new number with a new contract. I chose to pay the $549 otherwise I would have to pay for 2 two year contracts. Since it was lost on the job I was able to get the ccompany I works for to reimburse me. I could also have made a claim against my home owners policy ,$1000 electronics rider on the policy. This is an excellent deal. I have ATT btw.
The terms and conditions of AppleCare+ exclude coverage for loss, misplacement, and theft, as I read them.
I think Apple finally noticed how many warranties Squaretrade is selling.
Since I kayak and am always afraid of dropping the iPhone into the water, will get the new AppleCare+.
Maybe Apple will make a waterproof iPhone 🙂
The PLUS applecare seems to be available only when upgrading through Apple. I have tried to upgrade through AT&T’s web site and by calling them and they only show the $69 regular applecare.