AccidentalDamage
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Apple now insures your Mac in case of spills and drops
AppleCare is Apple's extended warranty program for almost all of its products, while AppleCare+ covered iOS devices specifically. That little plus sign is important, too, since it protects your beloved iPhone and iPad against accidental damage. So it's pretty big news that, as of this week, AppleCare+ is now available for Macs, protecting your pricey desktop and laptops against trips, spills and falls.
SquareTrade study shows why iPhones and iPads dislike Mississippi
If you're an iPhone or an iPad making your way from a factory in China to the United States, just hope that you're not going to end up in the clumsy hands of someone from the state of Mississippi. A new SquareTrade study shows that some the highest levels of accident damage to both iPhones and iPads occur in the Magnolia State. The two graphics you see here show that an iPad or iPhone in Mississippi has a projected accidental damage rate of 30 to 35 percent over two years. Simply stated, that Apple product has a one in three chance of being damaged in 24 months. Ouch. Where are iPhones and iPads relatively safe from accidental damage? If you're an iPhone, you want to live in Iowa, where there's only a 5 to 9 percent chance of being hurt by your clumsy owner. For iPads, the safest places to live are Hawaii, Montana, and West Virginia, which also have a 5 to 9 percent two-year accidental damage rate. SquareTrade offers independent warranties to purchasers of consumer electronics, and the statistics on clumsiness were based on customer claims.
Sprint to offer three levels of iPhone service, 'yellow' AppleCare+ repairs will cost $49
Thinking about buying an iPhone 4S from Sprint? Depending on how clumsy you tend to be with mobile devices, you might want to consider adding the $99 AppleCare+ option at purchase, since those Total Equipment Protection plans are definitely out. A Sprint employee wrote in to detail us on upcoming service procedures, which include grouping a damaged device within three categories -- green, yellow and red -- after diagnosis. As you might imagine, green repairs are the easiest to deal with, and include 'minor damage' (i.e. cracked screens are out). These repairs will be handled for free within the first year for all customers, and within two years for those who purchased AppleCare+. Next up, the yellow category covers damage that doesn't fall within green, but is still repairable. Non subscribers will pay $199, while those with AppleCare+ will pay $49. Klutzes beware: you're limited to two yellow repairs, regardless of whether or not the device is in warranty. Finally, the red category is reserved for iPhones that provide little function beyond holding down a stack of papers or propping open your door. You'll need to pay the full replacement cost for red-labeled phones. None of these repairs will be handled in store -- iPhones will be shipped to Apple, though you're welcome to start the process at Sprint. Our recommendation: reach out to Apple directly, since your iPhone is probably headed there either way. And if you want AppleCare, don't forget to buy it at launch. Updated: Sprint wrote in to let us know that device swaps (not repairs) can in fact be handled in store, so you won't always need to go to Apple. [Thanks, Anonymous]
Sprint says no to iPhone insurance, AppleCare+ breathes sigh of relief
The Now Network is apparently voting thumbs-down to the idea of having its Total Equipment Protection plans available to its new crown jewel. According to a leaked slide courtesy of SprintFeed, your shiny Sprint-branded iPhone 4S (or 4) won't be offered with a healthy portion of peace of mind; rather, you'll need to purchase the AppleCare+ Protection Plan or go through a third party to have any protection from accidental damage. This may change down the road, as the slide says it won't be offered "at launch," but only time will tell. Unfortunate, yes, but we suppose there's always a bright side -- at least there's now a Sprint iPhone to not have insurance for, right?
AppleCare+ debuts for $99, offers to cover accidental damage in addition to the standard fare
Once upon a time, the AppleCare Protection Plan was a service provided by Cupertino to extend out the life of your iPhone warranty for an extra year and enable Apple reps to help with additional customer service concerns. It still offers all of that, but now a Plus has been added to the title. The new plan was revealed as the cloak over the Apple Store lifted after today's keynote, with the boxes shipping out the same day as the iPhone 4S. What's so "plus" about it, you might ask? It's plus $30, for one, getting a price bump from $70 to $100. The good news, though, is that it also now offers two instances of protection from accidental damage... for a $49 fee each time. It's a fair deal less than shelling out full retail price for a fresh one, of course, but there doesn't appear to be any other new features beyond what we're already used to getting. Oh, except for "one more thing": whereas its predecessor could be obtained and activated anytime within the first twelve months of your purchase, it appears that AppleCare+ has to be bought at the same time as the valuable treasure it's protecting. We're still sifting through the fine print, so we'll holler if we come across any other changes. This raises the question: does the accidental damage handling justify the higher cost? [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Report: iPhone 4 "more prone to physical damage"
SquareTrade, a company that provides extended warranties for iPhones, is reporting that the iPhone 4 is "more prone to physical damage" than the iPhone 3GS, according to the warranty company's iPhone reliability report. In the report, SquareTrade compared over 20,000 iPhone 4 claims, from the first four months of its release, to the equivalent for the iPhone 3GS. They found that the overall reported accident rate for the iPhone 4 is 68% higher than the 3GS, and that iPhone 4 users reported 82% more damaged screens than the 3GS. The report goes on to say that "the aluminosilicate glass seems to crack at least as often as the old [3GS] glass, and there is now twice as much surface area to break," despite Apple claiming that the glass used in the iPhone 4 is 30 times harder than plastic, according to its website. However, SqaureTrade's report says that accident rates need to be taken into perspective, and that overall, the iPhone has a much lower non-accident malfunction rate than compared with most other consumer electronics. SquareTrade also notes that in its last smartphone reliability study, it found the iPhone to be "far more reliable" than Blackberry and Palm Treo phones, though, this was compiled in November 2008. Having just received my iPhone 4, I'm debating whether to get a case for it or not. I did purchase a highly rated case for my 3G, but it was more of a hassle than its worth, especially since I was particularly careful with the phone. I guess it boils down to how well you look after you gadgets. Nevertheless, accidents do happen. You can download a PDF of SquareTrade's report here. [via International Business Times]
Win a Square Trade accident-coverage iPhone warranty from TUAW
Two weekends ago, Diet Coke was accidentally spilled onto my MacBook Pro Keyboard. The machine, a Core Duo 15" that was among the first of the Intel Macs rolled out, suddenly didn't work the way it used to. Luckily, damage was restricted only to the keyboard: caps lock, shift, b, h, and num lock didn't function. Not being able to type the word "butt" was a pain in the "utt." While I've since repaired the keyboard -- on my own, thanks to iFixit's instructions -- it made me question, again, the value of an extended warranty. Had the damage been worse, I may have had to get a new machine. While AppleCare is certainly compelling for many (phone support and timely repairs of manufacturer defects by Apple-authorized technicians, among its values), its defect is that hardware repair coverage is restricted to manufacturer defects. And in my case, even if this had been a new machine still under AppleCare, it wouldn't have been covered. So, if you accidentally drop your iPhone in the toilet (it happens) or if, while looking up your Tiramisu recipe in MacGourmet, you happen to spill Kahlua all over your MacBook, you won't be covered by AppleCare. While researching third party extended warranties, I stumbled upon Square Trade. In addition to covering manufacturers' defects, Square Trade's warranty covers accidental damage. In effect, it's a warranty with an additional safeguard for dings, drops and drenching. Although the Square Trade warranty covers accidental damage, consider all your options before proceeding with a purchase -- Is it worth its cost? For example, claims for accidentally damaged items (as opposed to manufacturer defects) require a $50 deductible. In the case of the MacBook and MacBook Pro, this narrows the price gap between AppleCare and the SquareTrade price.
SquareTrade Study: iPhones more reliable than BlackBerry, Treo
Independent warranty provider SquareTrade has released a report showing that iPhones are more reliable than either BlackBerry or Palm Treo devices.The report, titled "iPhone More Reliable than BlackBerry, One Year In", analyzes failure rates for more than 15,000 new cell phones covered by SquareTrade warranties. SquareTrade found that after one year of ownership, iPhone owners were half as likely as BlackBerry owners to have a phone failure, and one-third as likely as Treo owners. After 12 months, slightly over 16% of Treo owners had experienced a failure, while just less than 12% of BlackBerry owners had their smartphone die on them. Only 5.6% of iPhone owners had a critical failure.SquareTrade's report also shows the types of failures most common for the various devices. The iPhone's Achille's Heel appears to be the touchscreen, while other devices saw problems with keyboards, software, and call quality.When it comes to problems not caused by handset malfunctions, the iPhone is much more prone to accidental damage. 12% of iPhone owners reported failure due to dropping accidents, which SquareTrade attributes to the small size and slippery case of the iPhone. Apple has made no comment on the report.
My Powerbook screen broke itself
There are few things that bring a chill to the heart of Powerbook (or MacBook Pro users for that matter) users more than the phrase 'cracked screen.' Unless, of course, the cracked screen is entirely your own fault (having dropped my own Powerbook on more than a few occasions I know of what I speak).JC at MacGeekery has written a great post about 'Accidental Damage,' from the Apple Genius point of view (JC is a former Apple Genius). It turns out, and this is a shocker, that AppleCare doesn't cover objects smashing against your laptop's screen. Of course people know this, but that doesn't stop people from bringing their cracked screen toting Powerbooks to the Genius Bar and expect Apple to pick up the tab.Hey, when I spilled water on my Titanium Powerbook you didn't see me running to AppleCare for a fix (what I did was turn off the Powerbook, let it dry, and then I called Apple and they fixed it).That picture of a very sad Powerbook is via David's World.
