Is AppleCare One Worth It or a Scam? This Financial Influencer Exposes the Truth
Written by
Angela Mae
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Jenna Klaverweiden
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It’s no secret that Apple devices can cost a lot of money. A 15-inch MacBook Air starts at $1,199, but it can easily cost you $1,599 with a few upgrades. AirPods 4 with active noise cancellation go for $179.
When you’re a hardcore Apple lover, you might want coverage protection for your devices. And while you can stick with the traditional AppleCare, you can instead upgrade to AppleCare One.
But is it worth it? Or is it a scam? In a recent video, money expert Vincent Chan discussed what he thinks.
Also see the four most expensive Apple products that people go into debt to buy.
What Is AppleCare One?
In July of this year, Apple rolled out its new AppleCare One plan. With AppleCare One, you get all the benefits of AppleCare+. This means unlimited coverage against accidental damage (like from drops or spills), as well as three claims of loss or theft each year.
The plan offers coverage for up to three Apple products for a flat fee of $19.99 a month. Customers can add additional devices to the plan for another $5.99 per month per product. Typically, devices must be no more than four years old and in good condition to be added to the plan.
Is AppleCare One Frugal or a Scam?
You might think $19.99 a month is a small price to pay for peace of mind over your expensive tech. But is it actually? In his TikTok video, Chan asked the question: Is AppleCare One the frugal option or a scam?
Chan shared the three Apple devices he uses and the cost of individual coverage for them:
- AirPods Pro ($1.49 monthly)
- MacBook Pro ($9.99 monthly)
- iPhone 15 Pro ($12.99 monthly).
Add all this up, and you get $24.47 a month in individual AppleCare plan coverage. That’s nearly $4.50 more each month than what he’d spend with AppleCare One.
This might not seem like much, but it can add up. By getting AppleCare One and bundling coverage, Chan explained that he’d save nearly $110 in two years.
But Wait, There’s More
Using data from a 2018 Phone Arena survey, Chan shared that 50 million smartphone screens were damaged in the U.S. in 2017 alone. Chan explained that, statistically speaking, you’d expect to spend roughly $151.60 across two years on screen replacements.
But with AppleCare One, a cracked screen would cost closer to $39.60 across two years. This means he could save around $112 on screen repairs over that same period.
Using more recent data from 2023, Phone Arena found that 78 million Americans damaged their phones in a single year. In total, they spent $8.3 billion on screen repair in 2022. This is more than twice the amount spent in 2018.
Given the increased frequency of cracked or damaged screens, it might make sense for your finances to get AppleCare One.
There Is a Catch
As is often the case, there is a catch. According to Chan, AppleCare One is best suited for premium Apple devices. It might not be worth the extra cost if you have only basic devices.
He gave the example of someone who has a base Apple Watch, iPad and iPhone. Getting individual AppleCare plans for these three devices would cost $17.97 a month. Purchasing AppleCare One for these same devices would be more than that each month. This is in line with other opinions on the service. The Verge, for example, also did a cost analysis, noting that people who have the “latest and greatest” products will save more money.
In short? Get AppleCare One if you want to insure your premium devices. Otherwise, you might want to stick with AppleCare for baseline products.
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