Is AppleCare actually worth it?
AppleCare transfers some repair risk, but you still pay for the plan and often a service fee. Whether it is worth it depends on your device, plan price, accident risk, and tolerance for a large repair bill.
Transcript
Is AppleCare actually worth it? Think of AppleCare as paying to transfer some repair risk. Apple currently lists iPhone service fees of twenty-nine dollars for screen or back-glass damage and ninety-nine dollars for other accidental damage. Theft or loss, when included, carries a one-hundred-forty-nine-dollar deductible. And remember, you pay for the coverage itself on top of those fees. So compare the plan cost plus a possible service fee with the repair or replacement bill you would otherwise absorb. AppleCare is easier to justify with an expensive phone, frequent drops, heavy travel, theft concerns, or when being without your phone would create a real problem. It is harder to justify if you rarely damage devices, can comfortably absorb a repair, or already have overlapping protection. AppleCare is risk transfer. Whether it is worth paying for depends on how much risk you want to keep. This was Worth It IN60seconds. One question. One minute. One useful answer.
Read full explanation →Do the repair-risk math before you buy.
Compare plan cost, current service fees, theft/loss coverage, battery service, device value, and the case for simply self-insuring.