What's the difference between AppleCare +, Apple's limited warranty and third party insurances?

When it comes to high tech devices there are many different warranties and insurances that are offered to “protect” your tech from hardware damages and software malfunctions. However, each warranty offers different protection plans and limitations which can cause a lot of confusion.

For Apple products, Apple offers a standard limited warranty that is included when you buy your device as well as an extended warranty option called AppleCare+ that can be purchased separately. Another option that some choose to go with is a third party insurance through their cellular provider that requires a monthly fee. So the real question is, what exactly is the difference between each and what do they cover?

Standard Warranty

With the purchase of a new Apple device comes a standard warranty, which simply stated is a limited warranty that guarantees the product will work as it should for up to a year. If something were to break or malfunction, at no fault of the owner, then Apple will pay to have it fixed or replaced for free (not including service and labor costs). However, if the damage to your device is physical, such as a cracked screen, then the limited warranty does not apply.

Standard Warranty offers: 

• Limited warranty for up to one year (two years for the Apple Watch Edition)

• Covers hardware failures only

• Apple support by chat or phone for 90 days

AppleCare+

AppleCare+ is Apple’s extended warranty plan that provides additional coverage with many more benefits than the standard limited warranty. Customers have 60 days upon purchase to add the AppleCare+ plan to their device. Unlike the limited warranty, AppleCare+ covers accidental damage like liquid damage and broken screens, as well as loss or theft. Although there is a fixed deductible, the cost of repairs are much cheaper than those of the standard warranty. For example, if you broke the screen on your iPhone 13, the cost to replace that screen with AppleCare+ is $29 as opposed to paying $329 if you only have the limited warranty. AppleCare+ is offered on almost all Apple products and the price varies depending on the device.

AppleCare+ offers:

• Extended warranty for up to two years (three years for Macs or Apple Displays), or longer with month-to-month

• Covers hardware failures and up to two incidents of accidental damage every 12 months, subject to service fees

• Priority access to Apple support by chat or phone

• Express replacement service

• Covers two incidents of theft or loss for an additional fee (available for the iPhone only)

Third Party Insurance Plans

Oftentimes, your cellular provider will offer you an insurance plan when you buy your iPhone. The plans usually consist of a monthly fee added to your phone bill with different levels of coverage depending on your service provider. However there are some things to note when choosing a third party insurance plan:

1. Apple and Apple Authorized Service Providers (like The Orchard) do not accept any type of warranty claim from a third party insurance plan. You must go through your cellular provider or the store that you purchased the warranty from.

2. All parts used to repair your device are not authorized by Apple, therefore they are not using genuine Apple replacement parts. This will eventually cause more issues with the device and also voids any Apple certified warranty that you may have.

3. Third party warranties are highly discouraged by Apple and all AASPs due to the lack of value that they provide.

Determining if an extended warranty plan is worth it for you really depends on how careful you are with your Apple products. If you are more prone to accidents or prefer not to spend hundreds of dollars in repairs, then AppleCare+ is definitely worth the cost. As an Apple Authorized Service Provider, The Orchard can set you up with AppleCare+, handle all repair claims, and take care of any Apple device needs that you may have. We are your one stop shop for all things Apple!