Why You Should Probably Buy AppleCare + for Your IPhone (Even If It’s Bullshit)

When your iPhone’s screen breaks, it sucks. You know that you will have to shell out money one way or another. However, how you spend that money affects not only how much you pay, but whether or not you have a working iPhone in the end. AppleCare +, like Apple in general, is at the heart of this problem.

AppleCare + or not AppleCare +

AppleCare + costs vary depending on your iPhone model. AppleCare + on the iPhone 13 and 13 mini, for example, will set you back $ 150, while insurance for the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max costs $ 200. You can spend more on AppleCare + with theft and loss, but that’s not particularly relevant for this discussion.

At these prices, AppleCare + is not fun to pay up front, given that your new iPhone may already be worth over $ 1,000 already. Not only that, but the repair of the screen is paid along with the service – it still costs $ 29 per incident, up to two incidents every 12 months. I used to transfer this service and told myself that I would be very careful with my new iPhone; After all, if I break my screen, won’t the repair cost the same as the service itself?

Aldeady no. Take a look at these renovation costs . Your iPhone 13 Pro Max (or 12 Pro Max, for that matter) will cost $ 329 to get the display repaired. For that price, you could almost buy a new iPhone SE. AppleCare + plus $ 100 less screen repair cost. If your phone is water damaged, the $ 99 you’ll pay for a replacement via AppleCare + will feel like a dream compared to the $ 599 worth spending on the 13 Pro Max .

How about going through a third party (or yourself?)

Oftentimes, third-party repair shops can fix your items for less than Apple. Plus, you get the added benefit of helping a neighborhood or local business. These repair shops are great because they are usually passionate about fixing appliances (you don’t hear too many people doing technical repairs for money) and they also do quite a bit for free – just browse through the repair shop reviews and you’ll probably see glowing notes of quick fixes made for free. They really just want to help.

Another option is to simply repair the iPhone yourself. IFixit has a fantastic website dedicated to helping you fix your own items. You can simply enter the make and model of your iPhone and find guides and supplies to help you along the way. While repairs vary in complexity, fixing your iPhone screen and replacing the battery are two types of repair that many beginners and mid-level professionals find affordable (but please be careful with these batteries).

We love third-party repair shops, just as we take a do-it-yourself approach to technology. Do you know who does n’t think so? You guessed it.

Apple hates third-party repairs

Apple is a world in which everyone comes to them for everything. Want to buy a tablet? Buy an iPad from Apple. Not sure how to use it? Head over to Apple for an information session. IPad is broken? Take it to geniuses at Apple to fix it. Apple, Apple, Apple.

Because Apple wants to be your best friend, they envy the other people you would rather spend time with. Rather than working to make their service better than others, they would rather make using another option just miserable compared to that.

Apple has a lot of power here. They make both hardware and software for the iPhone (as well as all of their other products). This gives them complete control over the experience; if they want their devices to behave in a certain way, they can.

We saw it come to a head last week when iFixit reported that Apple had developed an iPhone 13 with a chip that would disable Face ID if the screen was repaired by an unauthorized store. To put it simply, the company decided to block your iPhone’s primary security feature if you fixed it in the “wrong” third-party store. This chip also interacted with Apple, so the company could remotely check if a repair was approved.

To be fair, it was possible to successfully complete a screen repair without going through Apple one of its authorized stores. However, once-simple repairs now required thousands of dollars worth of hardware, as well as micro-soldering skills for repairs that should be simple enough for you to do on your own.

Suffice it to say that the tech community didn’t like the news, to say the least. On a positive note, backlash inspired Apple to abandon this predatory policy ; The company will soon release an update for iPhone 13 devices, ensuring that screen replacement doesn’t lock Face ID if you choose not to use Apple.

However, this will not be the last time we see Apple do a similar trick. Apple has no regrets about what it did; sorry he was caught.

It is this behavior that leads me to recommend that you buy AppleCare + for your new iPhone, since it is simply in your financial interest to provide Apple with this insurance money. Not only will this save you money on screen replacement in the future, but it will also ensure that you can do it without losing your device’s functionality.

Third party repairs and DIY repairs remain possible options; after all, Face ID will work fine soon after one of these fixes. However, Apple has designed a system that works in your favor if you play it. Other options, to my dismay, are not as reliable. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

The right to repair can help

Our best way to fix this situation is to fix it. The Right to Repair is a movement that asserts two points: consumers should be allowed to repair and tinker with the products they buy as they see fit, and manufacturers should provide parts and schematics to businesses in order to offer proper repair services.

And there is progress in that direction: This summer, President Biden signed a decree directing the FTC to develop some useful rules and guidelines. However, there are currently not many laws protecting consumers or third-party companies from predatory actions by large technology companies.

In a world that has the right to repair, Apple’s decision to disable Face ID after an unauthorized fix will be closed. The company most likely would not initially try to develop a design, but if they did, the discovery would be met with lawsuits, fines, and any other penalties that FTC rules would allow.

The right to repair is the answer for third-party repair shops, and it is the answer for self-repairing your equipment. In the meantime, Apple AppleCare + bullshit will unfortunately be the “best” investment in your iPhone.