Apple's Newest Warranty Plan Might Finally Convince Me to Get AppleCare

Each time I buy a new Apple product, I'm faced with a moral and ethical dilemma: Do I, or do I not, buy AppleCare? Indeed, AppleCare adds an extra cost on top of an already expensive laptop or smartphone. However, it might save me money down the road should something happen to my device—whether I drop my iPhone and break the screen, or someone snatches it while I'm out and about.

The problem with warranties like AppleCare, other than the price itself, is that they only apply to the single product you're buying it for. That makes sense—one product, one warranty. But with Apple, you're rarely buying one product. The ecosystem is designed to work best when you have more than one Apple device. Suddenly, you're not faced with the question of buying AppleCare for only your iPhone, but also your MacBook, your iPad, your Apple Watch. Maybe you bite the bullet, and empty your wallet to protect everything. Or, you pick and choose, prioritizing the priciest devices, while leaving the less expensive ones vulnerable.

I often find myself in the latter category: I can't buy a Mac without AppleCare, but I do go without it for my iPhone, and pray I don't drop it. Apple's latest warranty plan, AppleCare One, however, might convince some like me to start covering more of their devices than usual.

AppleCare One

Apple announced the new warranty plan on Wednesday morning. Here's the gist: For $19.99 per month, you can choose to cover up to three Apple devices at once. If you have more than three devices, you can add additional coverage for $5.99 a pop.

If you're familiar with AppleCare+, you won't be surprised by AppleCare One's coverage. With it, you get unlimited repairs for damage from drops and spills, 24/7 "priority" support from Apple, as well as coverage on battery issues. Like AppleCare+, iPhones are covered for theft and loss, but one big difference with AppleCare One is that this coverage also extends to iPad and Apple Watch. (Apple says these devices' AppleCare+ plans will increase in price as a result.) If you lose your Apple Watch on vacation, or your iPad is stolen out of your bag, this plan covers you.

You can also add products you've owned for some time. Before, you needed to enroll your devices in AppleCare within 60 days of purchasing them. But now, you can add devices up to four years old to your AppleCare One plan. That makes it possible to add older products you've purchased secondhand, assuming they're in good enough condition to be enrolled.

That's the thing: Apple doesn't have a specific rubric for you to follow in order to know whether your device is eligible for AppleCare One. If it powers on and is free of visible cracks or scratches, it seems there's a good chance it'll be approved, but it does need to be approved. You can do that from an Apple Store in-person, of course, but Apple has also built tools in both the Apple Store app, as well as your device's Settings app, to evaluate the condition of your device. That includes a diagnostic test, to make sure it's working properly, but you'll also need a separate device, like an iPhone, to take photos of your device to make sure it qualifies. If it doesn't, you can repair it first, then enroll it in AppleCare One.

AppleCare One also doesn't have an expiration date. You can keep your devices enrolled as long as you want, and since it's a monthly plan, you can mix and match which devices are covered as you wish.

Pricing

$20 per month is not cheap, of course. That's the price of at least one, if not two subscriptions to streaming services. However, it's complicated situation. If you tend to cover all of your Apple devices, this is likely a win. If you have a 13-inch MacBook Air (typically $6.99 per month to cover), an iPhone 16e (typically $9.99 per month) and an Apple Watch Series 10 (typically $3.99 per month), you're saving a dollar with this new plan. If you have a more expensive MacBook, like a 16-inch Pro (typically $14.99) and an expensive iPhone, like a 16 Pro (typically $13.99 per month), you're saving quite a bit.

Of course, if you only have two relatively inexpensive Apple devices—an iPhone 16e at $9.99, and a Mac mini at $3.49, this plan isn't enticing at all. You'll want to price out the difference in cost between covering your chosen devices individually with AppleCare+, or folding them in under AppleCare One. You can check out AppleCare plan pricing per device on Apple's site here.

AppleCare One could be the move

There are things I do genuinely like about this plan. One, it does make it simple to cover multiple Apple devices at once—$20 is not a terrible price to ensure that a Mac, iPhone, and iPad are all covered. But more than that, it might encourage us to use our devices longer. We're conditioned to upgrade our devices as soon as they break, and limited, exclusive warranties don't help that. By allowing you to add older devices without an expiration on the coverage, you can be rest assured that your existing iPhone, iPad, MacBook, or Apple Watch is going to be supported into the future. It's no longer a question of "use it 'til it breaks," but rather, "use it 'til it can't be fixed." That's pretty cool.

AppleCare One will be available starting Thursday, July 24.