Roger Fingas
In tandem with announcing the iPhone 7 on Wednesday, Apple also revised its AppleCare+ plans for iPhones, instituting a $29 screen replacement option but forcing all customers to pay $99 for any other form of accident repair.
Previously, owners of the iPhone SE or pre-iPhone 6s devices were charged $79 for each of the two accidents covered under AppleCare+, regardless of what the issue was. iPhone 6s owners were already paying a $99 fee.
The screen replacement option could save some customers a significant amount of money, since cracked or scratched displays are one of the more common problems with smartphones.
In addition to offering cheaper accident repairs, AppleCare+ extends general warranty and support coverage to two years. Normally iPhones include just a year of defect repairs and replacements, plus 90 days of support.
For the iPhone 7, AppleCare+ will cost $129. The phone itself starts preorders on Friday, and will ship Sept. 16. Interestingly, while the iPhone 7 is designed to offer a measure of water resistance, water damage is not covered under AppleCare+.
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11 Comments
Citi's double cash master card will extend the warranty for 24 additional months. Not sure if it covers accidental damage.
I broke my iPhone 6 Plus TWICE, so am definitely buying AppleCare
While it does not technically cover water damage, I have never once seen a person with AppleCare+ coverage given a problem over water damage. It was always processed as accidental damage with the normal deductible. I actually was in the Apple Store with a friend who's phone sustained water damage when across from us was a teenager with the same problem. The teenager's Genius even had a canned joke about how "iPhones are like alligators in that they love to jump into the water." Both phones were processed as accidental damage incidents. Furthermore, everyone I have spoken to at Apple has told me that water damage is covered under accidental damage.
I wonder those people who are the first ones to buy the phone and put it through the blender buy the AppleCare option? Hmmm....
Just be careful, folks. You have the equivalent of a fairly costly computer in your pocket, so act accordingly.