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AppleCare+ now covers two incidents of accidental damage per year
Replacing an iPhone under theft or loss coverage could be cheaper too.
AppleCare now costs more for larger iPhones
Are you eyeing a larger-screened iPhone, like the iPhone X or 8 Plus? Unfortunately, it'll cost you extra to extend the warranty. Apple has quietly raised the price of AppleCare+ coverage for bigger iPhones, with the price varying depending on what you're getting. If you want to protect any Plus model, it now costs $149/£149 instead of the $129/£129 you continue to pay for mid-size iPhones. And brace yourself if you're getting an iPhone X: it'll cost $199/£199 to get your device covered.
AppleCare+ to cover international iPhone replacements, starting September 27th
A welcome bit of news for globe trotters, as Apple is widening the safety net of AppleCare+ to include hardware repair or replacement while abroad. According to a leaked support document obtained by Sonny Dickinson, replacement coverage for the iPhone will become effective on September 27th. Separately, customers may also initiate repairs of the iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple display and Apple TV while traveling. This move follows a recent expansion of AppleCare+ within western Europe, and easily beats Apple's previous requirement that customers initiate repairs in the same country where AppleCare+ was first purchased. As an important caveat, Apple isn't guaranteeing that model-specific replacement hardware will be available in all countries, but this is a step in the right direction.
AppleCare+ rolls out to three European countries, but incident fees climb to $79 in the US
While we were busy gawking at the iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s, Apple was quietly expanding the reach of its AppleCare+ extended support program. The service is now available in France, Italy and the UK, giving locals two years of iOS and iPod hardware support (including two accident claims) beyond the European requirements. Customers pay £79 (€99 in Europe) to cover an iPad or iPhone, and £49 (€59) to safeguard an iPod. Unfortunately, the expansion comes at a cost for Americans -- Apple is quietly hiking its AppleCare+ accident repair fee in the US from $49 to $79. While that's still cheaper than regular service, it's expensive enough that some may simply prefer to take better care of their gadgets. May we suggest a case?
AppleCare+ extended to new iPad, adds two years of support for a fee
When the iPhone 4S was announced last year, the fine folks over in Cupertino outed an extended, premium protection plan, dubbed AppleCare+. That service, which boosts the standard 90 days of coverage to two years, in addition to ensuring "up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage," will now also be available to prospective new iPad owners for an additional fee. The company's set to charge $99 for the package -- though you'll have to fork over an extra $49 apiece for hardware service -- but as for a release, there's still no word on a firm date; simply a promise that the plan's "coming soon." Until then, prepare to handle that A5X beast with kid's gloves.
Didn't get the AppleCare+ with your iPhone? Worry not, you now have 30 days to change your mind
AppleCare+, Cupertino's latest protection plan, debuted on the same day the iPhone 4S was unveiled, but anyone wanting to take advantage of the two-year warranty and accidental damage coverage was required to fork out an extra $99 at the same time they bought their phone. While Apple allowed early adopters to buy the service until November 14th because they weren't offered it upon pre-ordering, it appears the company's extended that window until December 15th, according to an internal memo leaked to SprintFeed. What's better, it seems that Apple's softening up its policy for everyone else during the holidays, as the company now offers a 30-day window just in case you walk out of the store with your glass-laden treasure unprotected and change your mind later. Apple's site confirms the policy (shown below), but as always, there's a catch: if you choose to get it after point of purchase, you'll need to either call up Apple directly or schedule a Genius Bar appointment, bring your receipt in and have the phone inspected to ensure it's not already damaged. Seems like a lot to do, but just make sure you use that Reminders app to keep track of it all.
Apple offering AppleCare+ for iPhone 4 and 4S preorders until November 14th
TUAW has received numerous emails from readers who are confused (with good reason!) about the status of AppleCare+. Good news for those who pre-ordered the iPhone 4S: If you did not get a chance to order AppleCare+ with your iPhone 4S, Apple is extending your eligibility. When Apple announced AppleCare+ the company said it would only be available at the time of purchase. That is an important distinction from "AppleCare," which can be purchased anytime in the first year but does not include coverage for accidental damage. The reason for AppleCare+'s more restrictive requirement is clear: Apple wants to make sure your iPhone is not already damaged when you purchase AppleCare+. Apple.com was flooded with pre-orders, so much so that the system was overwhelmed and many people were unable to place orders at all. Others were able to place orders, but weren't offered AppleCare+. Still others gave up and ordered directly through AT&T or Verizon's websites. Personally, after 90 minutes and at least a dozen failed attempts to buy an iPhone 4S through Apple.com and the Apple Store app, I finally gave up and ordered through Verizon's website. At that point (4:30 a.m. local time) and not having slept at all, I forgot all about AppleCare+. A second chance for pre-orders Almost immediately people started to write in to TUAW saying that AppleCare+ had not been offered and asking if we knew of any way that it could be added to an existing order. No definitive answer has been available, and various reports across the web showed that people were getting different answers. The most common were: Cancel your pre-order and re-order with AppleCare+ Bring your unopened iPhone to your local Apple Store and tell them you want to purchase AppleCare+ Call Apple when you receive your iPhone and order AppleCare+. The first two "solutions" have serious and significant drawbacks. No one wants to cancel their pre-order, because they'll lose their "place" in the pre-order line. All iPhone 4S models are currently showing a wait time of 1-2 weeks. That's not going to sit well with people who ordered in the middle of the night. Bringing your iPhone 4S to your local Apple Store is problematic for A couple reasons. First, your local Apple Store is going to be overwhelmed with customers wanting to buy iPhones, which is either going to mean that people who ordered online are going to have to wait in line or wait until the lines die down. Worse, there are several states with no Apple Stores at all, and even if there is an Apple Store it doesn't mean there's one close. The nearest Apple Store to me is a 2-hour drive, each way. A few days ago we started getting reports that people who pre-ordered iPhones through Apple.com had received emails directly from Apple offering them AppleCare+ coverage if it was not offered when they ordered. The email (which is included at the end of this article) reiterated that "every iPhone comes with one year of hardware repair coverage through its limited warranty and up to 90 days of complimentary support." It went on to explain AppleCare+ as an extension of coverage "to two years from the original purchase date of your iPhone and adds up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage, each subject to a $49 service fee." So far so good, but the next part of the email is where things turned odd: "We noticed you weren't given the opportunity to add AppleCare+ to your iPhone. If you would like to extend your coverage for only $99, please reply to this email." This is not something that Apple has ever done before (at least, I've never heard of anything like it), and people were understandably worried that this might be an attempt at phishing. However, there were clear signs that these emails were legitimate. First, the subject line of the email message contained the actual order number of the user's iPhone 4S order. Second, the email address for replies was pointed to a legitimate email address with the domain apple.com (and not a phishing address like "app1e.com" or some such). Most phishing attempts want you to send information to a third-party website which has been made to look official, but isn't. Earlier today I emailed Apple at that address,applestoreinfo@apple.com. I explained that I had ordered through Verizon's website (which never offered AppleCare+), and I'd heard others who hadn't been able to pre-order AppleCare+ had received this email. Here is the full text of the reply I received: AppleCare+ will be available for iPhone 4 (8GB) and iPhone 4S pre-order customers until November 14th. After you receive your new iPhone, please contact AppleCare (1-800-275-2273) to complete your purchase. Sincerely, Rachel Apple Inc. There are no guarantees in life, but it seems that Apple recognizes that this did not go as smoothly as planned, so it's making an exception for pre-orders. I assume that Apple will start enforcing the "only available at the time of sale" restriction after the initial pre-orders are fulfilled. When my iPhone 4S arrives, I plan to call AppleCare immediately and explain my situation again. My hope and expectation is that Apple will be ready to process my AppleCare+ order immediately over the phone, but just in case, I figure it won't hurt to wait to open it until I have someone on the phone to walk me through the process immediately. I will post a followup as soon as my iPhone 4S arrives. (Aside to Verizon: your order confirmation page and email both said that my iPhone would arrive on October 14th, not "ship on" October 14th. I do hope you plan to meet that deadline.) Here's the full text of the email from Apple that several readers sent in: Dear Apple Customer, Thank you for your recent iPhone purchase at the Apple Online Store. We would like to let you know that every iPhone comes with one year of hardware repair coverage through its limited warranty and up to 90 days of complimentary support. AppleCare+ for iPhone extends your coverage to two years from the original purchase date of your iPhone and adds up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage, each subject to a $49 service fee. We noticed you weren't given the opportunity to add AppleCare+ to your iPhone. If you would like to extend your coverage for only $99, please reply to this email. Thank you for shopping with Apple. Sincerely, Apple Online Store Team
How to add AppleCare+ to your early iPhone 4S order
TUAW is getting lots of queries from those who pre-ordered their iPhone 4S but were not given the option for an AppleCare+ purchase at that time; most of them ordered their phones from their carrier, rather than directly from Apple. If you're unfamiliar with the extended support program, you may wonder why this is an issue. It's because of some wording on the Apple website. Apple's site states that "AppleCare+ must be purchased together with your new iPhone. To buy it, add it to your shopping cart during the checkout process when you purchase your new iPhone." A call to AppleCare confirms that the service is not intended for sales made directly from AT&T, Sprint, or Verizon. On the other hand, the Terms & Conditions document covering AppleCare+ simply says that the extended coverage must be purchased during the original one-year warranty covering the phone. Which is the real deal? TUAW did a bit of phoning around, to local retail stores, to AppleCare customer service and to sales support. They all agreed on their advice: If you want to buy AppleCare+ to cover a phone purchased from a carrier or one where you neglected to buy it when purchasing from Apple, just walk on in to an Apple retail store within 30 days of your purchase and ask for help from any sales person. You do not have to make a Genius Bar appointment. This is a one-time exception to the policy requiring simultaneous phone & AppleCare purchasing. The sales support representative we spoke with explained that many customers who ordered from Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T weren't aware that AppleCare+ isn't a product offered by those vendors. Because of that, Apple is waiving any restrictions for the initial launch. As for those who ordered from the online Apple Store and weren't offered AppleCare+, several representatives agreed that the launch was a bit "overwhelmed." If you'd like to take advantage of AppleCare+, which offers repair coverage and technical support for two years plus minimal accidental damage coverage (one supposes that Genius Bars will become far less lenient about extending courtesy repairs and replacements for these), simply head on in after purchase, once the initial fervor dies down. Accidental damage repairs will still incur a $49 charge for each incident, and you are limited to a maximum of two ADR incidents per device/policy. AppleCare+ costs $99 and is normally purchased along with the iPhone. You can also purchase standard AppleCare for iPhone at any time during a product's initial coverage for $79. AppleCare extends your iPhone coverage and support from the default coverage time to the full coverage time of two years from the purchase date of the phone. It does not restart the warranty clock to the date of the AppleCare+ purchase, so regardless of when you buy the coverage it will not extend past the second anniversary of your phone purchase. Direct number for Apple Care 800-275-2273 Apple Care Sales Support 800-676-2775 Thanks Kai C.
