Apple’s Newest Warranty Plan May Finally Convince Me to Get AppleCare
Every time I buy a new Apple product, I’m faced with a moral and ethical dilemma: should I buy AppleCare or not? Sure, AppleCare adds an extra cost to an already expensive laptop or smartphone. But it could save me money in the future if something happens to my device — like if I drop my iPhone and break the screen, or if someone steals it while I’m out and about.
The problem with warranties like AppleCare, beyond the price, is that they only apply to the one product you buy them for. That makes sense: one product, one warranty. But with Apple, you rarely buy just one product. The ecosystem is designed to work best when you have more than one Apple device. Suddenly, you’re faced with the choice of buying AppleCare not just for your iPhone, but for your MacBook, iPad, and Apple Watch. You might grit your teeth and empty your wallet to protect everything. Or you might pick and choose, prioritizing the most expensive devices while leaving the less expensive ones vulnerable.
I often fall into the latter category: I can’t buy a Mac without AppleCare, but I’ll go without it for my iPhone and pray I don’t drop it. But Apple’s new warranty plan, AppleCare One, might convince some people like me to start servicing more devices than usual.
AppleCare One
Apple announced a new warranty plan Wednesday morning. Here’s the gist: For $19.99 a month, you can get warranty coverage for up to three Apple devices at a time. If you have more than three devices, you can add additional warranty coverage for $5.99 each.
If you’re familiar with AppleCare+ , you won’t be surprised by AppleCare One coverage. It gets unlimited repairs for devices damaged by drops and spills, 24/7 “priority” support from Apple, and coverage for battery issues. Like AppleCare+, your iPhone is covered against theft and loss, but the big difference with AppleCare One is that it also covers your iPad and Apple Watch. (Apple says the cost of AppleCare+ for these devices will increase because of this.) If you lose your Apple Watch on vacation or your iPad gets stolen from your bag, this plan has you covered.
You can also add products that you’ve been using for a while. Previously, you had to register devices for AppleCare within 60 days of purchase. Now, you can add devices up to four years old to your AppleCare One plan. This lets you add older products that you’ve bought for home use, as long as they’re in good enough condition to register.
Here’s the thing: Apple doesn’t have any clear criteria to follow to determine whether your device is eligible for AppleCare One. If the device works and has no visible cracks or scratches, it seems to have a good chance of being approved, but it requires approval. Sure, you can do this in person at an Apple Store, but Apple has also built tools into both the Apple Store app and your device’s Settings app to assess the health of your device. This includes a diagnostic test to make sure it’s working properly, but you’ll also need a separate device, like an iPhone, to take a photo of and verify that it’s eligible. If not, you can get it repaired first and then enroll it in AppleCare One.
AppleCare One also doesn’t expire. You can keep devices in the program for as long as you want, and since it’s a monthly plan, you can mix and match devices in the program as you see fit.
Prices
Sure, $20 a month isn’t cheap. That’s the price of at least one, if not two, streaming subscriptions. But it’s a complicated situation. If you tend to cover all of your Apple devices, this is probably a win-win situation. If you have a 13-inch MacBook Air (usually $6.99 a month), an iPhone 16e (usually $9.99 a month), and an Apple Watch Series 10 (usually $3.99 a month), you’re saving a buck with this new plan. If you have a more expensive MacBook, like the 16-inch Pro (usually $14.99), and an expensive iPhone, like the 16 Pro (usually $13.99 a month), you’re saving quite a bit.
Of course, if you only have two relatively inexpensive Apple devices — a $9.99 iPhone 16e and a $3.49 Mac mini — this plan isn’t all that appealing. You’ll want to consider the cost difference between covering select devices individually under AppleCare+ versus bundling them together under AppleCare One. You can check AppleCare’s per-device pricing on Apple’s website here .
AppleCare One Could Be a Step
There are a few things I really like about this plan. First, it makes it easy to cover multiple Apple devices at once — $20 is a small price to pay to cover your Mac, iPhone, and iPad. What’s more, it may encourage us to hold on to our devices longer. We’re conditioned to upgrade our devices as soon as they break, and limited, exclusive warranties don’t help that. The ability to add older devices without expiring your warranty ensures that your current iPhone, iPad, MacBook, or Apple Watch will be supported well into the future. It’s not a matter of “use it until it breaks,” it’s a matter of “use it until it can’t be fixed.” That’s pretty cool.
AppleCare One will be available starting Thursday, July 24.