Is AppleCare+ worth it? Pricing, features, benefits explained

When you buy a new Apple hardware product such as an iPhone, iPad, Mac computer, or AirPods, you’ll likely also come across AppleCare. What is AppleCare+, though? It’s an after-sales service and support plan for Apple gadgets – a super-powered extended warranty of sorts, which also covers accidental damage and coverage against battery issues. Most Apple products come with AppleCare, a one year of hardware repair coverage and limited technical support. AppleCare+ offers an extension that is meant to provide you with additional protection against mishaps or technical issues.

When you consider that Apple products are priced at a significant premium, you might want to back up your new purchase against any potential issues for a longer time. That’s where AppleCare+ comes in, offering an assurance that you’ll be able to use your new product for its typical life cycle, and won’t be forced to shell out big bucks on repairs due to any unforeseen incidents. Here’s everything you need to know about AppleCare+.

AppleCare+: Pricing and coverage

AppleCare+ is available for all new Apple hardware products, including iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, Apple Watch smartwatches, Apple displays, AirPods, Apple TV streaming boxes, and HomePod smart speakers. Pricing and coverage varies depending on the product you purchase.

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Coverage also varies between two years to three years from the date of purchase, with Mac, display, and Apple TV products getting the longer three-year coverage plans. AppleCare+ can be bought as an add-on at the time of purchasing the Apple product, or within 60 days of the purchase at an Apple Store or over a call with inspection, proof of purchase, and diagnostics. Currently, AppleCare+ can only be purchased for new products in India and cannot be renewed or switched to a monthly plan.

AppleCare+: Features and benefits

If you’ve purchased an AppleCare+ plan, you receive two years of coverage for service and support, including repairs that cover parts and labour costs. This will cover the product’s components, as well as cover the battery and any accessories included in the box such as remotes, cables, and power adapters. Accidental damage is also covered, but is subject to a service fee, which is likely to be lower than the actual cost of parts and labour in case of replacing components such as displays.

While AppleCare+ could be useful for just about any Apple product, certain types of devices such as iPhones,, and MacBooks are particularly well suited to AppleCare+, given the more regular and rougher handling that these devices are typically put through by the user. AppleCare+ offers coverage for unlimited incidents of accidental damage (subject to service fees depending on the type of damage), and battery coverage – common complaints that involve taking your product to a service centre. 

There is also technical support to handle some types of software issues, without having to bring your product into a service centre. AppleCare+ users get priority access to Apple experts to troubleshoot and provide assistance on various software-related queries, such as connecting to Wi-Fi networks, using specific iOS features, and also setting up your product for convenient and proper use.