AppleCare One
Apple (MacRumors, Hacker News, Reddit, Slashdot):
For just $19.99 per month, customers can protect up to three products in one plan, with the option to add more at any time for $5.99 per month for each device. With AppleCare One, customers receive one-stop service and support from Apple experts across all of the Apple products in their plan for simple, affordable peace of mind.
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AppleCare One includes all of the benefits that come with AppleCare+, including unlimited repairs for accidents like drops and spills, 24/7 priority support from Apple experts, quick and convenient Apple-certified service, and battery coverage. AppleCare One also expands theft and loss protection beyond iPhone to also cover iPad and Apple Watch.
It’s been about 12 years since I bought an AppleCare policy, and in all the years before that and since I don’t recall ever having a hardware problem that was outside of the original (included) warranty period but inside of the AppleCare period. So, to me, this doesn’t seem like a great deal, but I guess it’s a really simple way to get piece of mind. I could see it making sense if you want to take advantage of Apple now offering coverage for devices for more than three years or if you’re worried about theft or loss.
Customers can also add existing devices to the new program that are up to four years old (or one year for headphones) if they are in good condition. That’s a big change from the usual 60 days from the date of purchase that customers have had to purchase AppleCare in the past.
While AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss covers two claims per year for one device, AppleCare One will go up to a total of three claims per year.
This does reduce the total number of claims to the equivalent of one per device under AppleCare One versus three separate AppleCare+ plans, but it seems like a reasonable change.
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There is one massive outlier in the Apple products list when it comes to AppleCare One: The Apple Vision Pro.
Normally, the Apple Vision Pro costs $24.99 per month for AppleCare+. This is $5 per month more than AppleCare One’s monthly fee.
But is the bundle cost effective? Apple says in its release that “a customer can enroll their iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, and save up to $11 a month over enrolling in separate AppleCare+ plans for each device.”
Which…yes, they could. But herein lies the fine print, because in many cases it depends on what model devices you have; as always, AppleCare costs vary depending on how expensive the device is.
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One lingering question involves the iPhone Upgrade Program, which already includes AppleCare+ coverage as part of its subscription fee. It’s unclear exactly how that works with AppleCare One, though I’ve reached out to Apple to ask.
I’ll return and advocate for households like ours to just do BestBuy Total for $179 a year! Every one of those devices I listed above had 2 years of coverage paid for by BestBuy for the first 2 years and, via Best Buy’s account management area, I can attach monthly coverage to any device that is about to hit the end of the 2-years-free mark. I did that for my Apple Watch Ultra and iPad Pro M1 for a month or two until those devices were replaced. We’re on 2 year upgrades for iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods so those don’t need anything beyond 2 years and we’re on 3-4 years for MacBooks which is why I switched to a $149 a year plan directly with Apple to continue coverage until those devices are replaced.
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I also would like to say that Apple is rewriting history a bit by pretending that annual, 2-year and 3-year plans never existed because those were a good deal comparatively. Today, it’s $399 to cover a MacBook Pro 16″ M4 Max for 3-years, $149 for 1 year and $14.99 a month or $540 to cover for 3 years if you’re paying monthly. The 3-year plan is only $11 a month but Apple isn’t going to tell you that. They’re going to show you $14.99 for MacBook Pro and $13.99 for iPhone and pretend like they’re doing you a favor. You can still attach AppleCare 2 and 3 year plans to a device you bought by calling Apple’s hotline or chatting with them. They just don’t show you those plans or mention them to you in retail stores.
And the monthly rates are not locked in—they could increase.
Previously:
- AppleCare+ Only As a Subscription
- Apple Services Price Hikes
- AppleCare+ Unlimited Repairs
- Mac Upgrade Program
- Apple One
- Getting a New iPhone
Update (2025-07-25): Joe Rossignol:
A quick addendum to the all-new AppleCare One plan that debuted this week: it is compatible with Apple's iPhone Upgrade Program in the United States.
iPhone Upgrade Program members receive AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss coverage as part of their monthly payment, but they can switch to AppleCare One if they prefer.
In my case, it would cost $5.68/month more to move these four devices to AppleCare One, but it would add theft and loss coverage across the board except for my MacBook (none of my devices have it currently.) In some ways, moving devices to have this would be a pretty good value, basically adding a form of insurance for theft and loss for $60/year.
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On the other hand, for my long-term plans, I intend on dropping AppleCare+ on my MacBook next summer when it turns four and probably dropping it on my iPhone eventually, just due to value dropping the likelihood of me upgrading in the next year to two, as well.
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I think that’s the toughest calculation about things like AppleCare, especially on older devices that feel like a reliable, known quantity. You’re spending a portion of the device’s value every year as it’s dropping in value in hopes that if something catastrophic happened, you’d be covered. However, as devices age, you may be better off setting money aside towards something newer (such as my idea of a Mac mini.)
Update (2025-07-29): Adam Engst:
While AppleCare One simplifies device protection, it’s essential to remember that, overall, extended warranties benefit the companies offering them more than the customers buying them. Apple wouldn’t be introducing AppleCare One if it didn’t expect the program to increase its Services revenue well beyond what it pays out in AppleCare coverage. If you can afford to repair or replace a broken or lost device, self-insuring is often a more financially prudent option.
That said, AppleCare One could make sense if you:
- Prefer the peace of mind of being able to have damaged or lost devices fixed or replaced for a relatively low service fee
- Own multiple devices with high AppleCare+ costs
- Have older devices that you’d like to protect
- Prefer predictable monthly payments over unexpected repair or replacement costs
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I’ve developed a set of policies surrounding AppleCare for myself and anyone who asks me for recommendations[…]
Update (2025-08-05): Adam Bell:
Signed up for AppleCare One, and tried to add my MacBook, but it wouldn’t let me.
After calling Apple Support, they noted that since I bought this MacBook (and its AppleCare) by trading in another MacBook, it is not eligible to be added to AppleCare One.
Apparently purchases made from trade-ins are illegible.
Update (2025-08-12): Adam Chandler:
Since my post, someone has put together, “iCare — AppleCare Plan Calculator” which lets you determine whether you could benefit from AppleCare One.
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Best case, that’s $766.32 a year to cover all of my devices through Apple.
Alternatively, I can just pay Best Buy $179 a year for the same coverage.
There’s one big caveat, BestBuy only covers my devices for 2 years from purchase date and AppleCare One is basically forever (up until vintage status) and you can add devices you purchased up to 4 years ago with an inspection at the Apple Store[…]
Update (2025-08-20): John Siracusa:
Apple has been allowing devices to be added and then later sending emails that say you have 24 hours to do some BS or else your device will be kicked off the plan!
I tried, but Apple kept kicking my stuff off the plan (leaving it with no warranty). If you don’t want to have to worry about 24-hour clock randomly starting on a random device’s warranty at any time for the rest of your life, don’t get AppleCare One!
Settings.app had a red badge this morning - I assumed it was for a software update. Nope. It was an advertisement asking me to add my 2+ year old, out of warranty Beats headphones to AppleCare One.
I also have the option to choose AppleCare+ instead. But is that even allowed for out of warranty products?
And lol they got the pricing wrong. $1.49/year vs $1.49/month vs $14.99/year.
Update (2025-08-21): John Siracusa:
There are multiple accounts on all my Macs. And, yes, this is my leading theory about where Apple has gone wrong in their implementation (despite multiple user accounts being a feature of macOS for decades).
Update (2025-09-02): John Siracusa:
I finally called Apple Support and resolved my AppleCare One problem. It is as I suspected: AppleCare One does not correctly handle multiple user accounts in macOS. This is a known issue. No ETA for a fix.
The solution? Cancel AppleCare One and sign up for individual warranties for the devices that were covered under AppleCare One. These new plans will cost me more than AppleCare One and more than I was paying for the plans they had before I signed up for AppleCare One.
My total loss for this fiasco is that I’m now paying $48.03 more per year than I was before AppleCare One to cover one fewer device.
For now, you should avoid AppleCare One if you use multiple user accounts on your Mac, as is common for developers, families sharing computers, and people who maintain separate work and personal environments. The service might make sense for those with simple account setups, but Mac power users should stick with traditional AppleCare+ plans until Apple addresses this limitation.
Apparently this same AppleCare One problem with multiple user accounts also happens with an Apple TV with more than one user account.
What a frustrating situation, especially from a company that promises seamless integration of hardware, software, and services, since they make the whole widget.
5 Comments RSS · Twitter · Mastodon
Under the threat of tariffs and other trade disruptions, I have softened on the idea of never buying AppleCare. I put it on my iPhone 15 PM and my Apple Watch because I take that thing in salt water. But in truth, I don't think I've used it once, going all the way back to 2003 when I first "switched."
I'm curious to see what they do to the hardware prices on iPhones in a few months. Raising the prices of the HW and the repair prices could change the calculus of whether this is a good deal.
If you've never used it once going all the way back to 2003, uh, that predates everything except a Mac or an iPod.
@Anonymous Yep, had lots of hardware repairs for Macs but never within the AppleCare window. Never had any repairs for a non-Mac.
I remember the TiBook pushing the envelope and having a number of problems, so I got the extended warranty for a few models (can't recall if it was called AppleCare at that point). Great machine, but definitely not as solid as the modern crop. Things settled down and I stopped feeling I needed it.
@Andrew - Funny you mention the TiBook, I have one of those cracked open on my workbench right now.
The machine is otherwise in decent condition, but I finally figured out what’s wrong with it: someone broke off the power adapter lead inside the power connector.
It’s a 400 MHz, first revision machine. Fingers crossed I can rescue the thing, get it powering on again.
@Anon - I (pre-teen me) actually “switched” on a hand me down Quadra 610 that someone was getting rid of. Worked great, until the PSU failed (typical of those PSUs) and I was too afraid to go in there a recap it myself. It wasn’t till later that I was able to do odd jobs to buy an iBook G4. Funny to think that only time I ever needed AppleCare would have been on the Quadra 610.
