Apple Lowers Out-of-Warranty Repair Price for Apple Watch Sport to $199

Following the announcement of the $50 price drop for the Apple Watch Sport on Monday, Apple has now lowered the cost of its out-of-warranty repair price for the aluminum-cased wearable from $229 to $199. The program serves Apple Watch wearers not supported by AppleCare+, or the limited one-year warranty of the device, which will be ending soon for early adopters of the Apple Watch.

New apple watch sport warranty
The company still has a few rules about out-of-warranty service, with any Apple Watch that "has been broken into multiple pieces" remaining ineligible for repair. For more detailed descriptions of applicable devices, the company has a full Apple Repair Terms and Conditions document on its website.

Since the other tiers of the Apple Watch have not gotten a price drop, their out-of-warranty prices haven't changed either. If an owner of either the Apple Watch or Apple Watch Edition lacks proper warranty, a repair will cost them $329 and $2,800, respectively.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch 11
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)

Popular Stories

iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 Release Candidates to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Wednesday December 3, 2025 10:33 am PST by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 updates to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas. The release candidates represent the final versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found during this final week of testing....
ios 18 to ios 26 upgrade

Apple Pushes iPhone Users Still on iOS 18 to Upgrade to iOS 26

Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent. Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18...
Photos App Icon Liquid Glass

John Gruber Shares Scathing Commentary About Apple's Departing Software Design Chief

Thursday December 4, 2025 9:30 am PST by
In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs. On his blog Daring Fireball,...
iOS 26

When Will Apple Release iOS 26.2?

Monday December 1, 2025 4:37 pm PST by
We're getting closer to the launch of the final major iOS update of the year, with Apple set to release iOS 26.2 in December. We've had three betas so far and are expecting a fourth beta or a release candidate this week, so a launch could follow as soon as next week. Past Launch Dates Apple's past iOS x.2 updates from the last few years have all happened right around the middle of the...
iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
iphone air camera

iPhone Air's Resale Value Has Dropped Dramatically, Data Shows

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:27 am PST by
The iPhone Air has recorded the steepest early resale value drop of any iPhone model in years, with new data showing that several configurations have lost almost 50% of their value within ten weeks of launch. According to a ten-week analysis published by SellCell, Apple's latest lineup is showing a pronounced split in resale performance between the iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air....
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

iPhone 17 Pro Lost a Camera Feature Pro Models Have Had Since 2020

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:18 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro models, it turns out, can't take photos in Night mode when Portrait mode is selected in the Camera app – a capability that's been available on Apple's Pro devices since the iPhone 12 Pro in 2020. If you're an iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max owner, try it for yourself: Open the Camera app with Photo selected in the carousel, then cover the rear lenses with your hand to...
ive and altman

Jony Ive's OpenAI Device Barred From Using 'io' Name

Friday December 5, 2025 6:22 am PST by
A U.S. appeals court has upheld a temporary restraining order that prevents OpenAI and Jony Ive's new hardware venture from using the name "io" for products similar to those planned by AI audio startup iyO, Bloomberg Law reports. iyO sued OpenAI earlier this year after the latter announced its partnership with Ive's new firm, arguing that OpenAI's planned "io" branding was too close to its...
iphone 17 cyber

iPhone 17 Demand Is Breaking Apple's Sales Records

Tuesday December 2, 2025 9:44 am PST by
Apple's iPhone 17 lineup is selling well enough that Apple is on track to ship more than 247.4 million total iPhones in 2025, according to a new report from IDC. Total 2025 shipments are forecast to grow 6.1 percent year over year due to iPhone 17 demand and increased sales in China, a major market for Apple. Overall worldwide smartphone shipments across Android and iOS are forecast to...

Top Rated Comments

Jal217 Avatar
127 months ago
thats an insanely high price for repair. At that price you might as well wait for a new model to come out and buy a brand new one.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
marine0816 Avatar
127 months ago
They're allowed to charge whatever they want - it's a free market. If you'll pay it, they'll charge it.

If you don't like their repair fee, maybe someone else will repair it for less. If not, there's likely a business opportunity available.
I love how the Apple attack squad is ready to defend the dynasty
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Fzang Avatar
127 months ago
$2800 for the gold edition that has the exact same internals as the cheapest model? While also not eligible for repair if broken into pieces (i.e. the golden shell isn't even part of the problem)?? In what universe does this make even the slightest sense?
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ArtOfWarfare Avatar
127 months ago
$2800 for the gold edition that has the exact same internals as the cheapest model? While also not eligible for repair if broken into pieces (i.e. the golden shell isn't even part of the problem)?? In what universe does this make even the slightest sense?
They're allowed to charge whatever they want - it's a free market. If you'll pay it, they'll charge it.

If you don't like their repair fee, maybe someone else will repair it for less. If not, there's likely a business opportunity available.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Glassed Silver Avatar
127 months ago
Super long, but super related video:



tl;dr: They don't care whether you want to get it repaired or not, you're bringing them similar amounts of dough either way.
Buy new or get it repaired, the "repairs" are priced in such a way that they couldn't care less economically.

They're allowed to charge whatever they want - it's a free market. If you'll pay it, they'll charge it.

If you don't like their repair fee, maybe someone else will repair it for less. If not, there's likely a business opportunity available.
Not out of spite, but you should REALLY check out the video I embedded in this post.
It's very enlightening.

And yes, they CAN charge whatever they want, but here's something else:
They practically HINDER others from doing repairs (again, watch the video and you'll see a lot of that) AND as a customer you're free to complain.
Business, even between end consumers and big corporations shouldn't be one-sided communication-wise.

"Yeah, that's great, but they won't read it anyways! Contact Apple directly!"
I tell Apple frequently that they are out of their minds concerning out-of-warranty repair costs, but don't underestimate the importance of critique in media and forums. ('http://9to5mac.com/2014/08/29/part-3-strategies-the-art-of-deep-background-and-controlling-the-press/')

Glassed Silver:mac

PS: I know that his take on the home button has since been commented on by Apple and that it was an accident. Basically skip that train of thought and check out the rest of his arguments.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ArtOfWarfare Avatar
127 months ago
I love how the Apple attack squad is ready to defend the dynasty
You're confused. I made the suggestion that you go with a third party repair, or open up your own third party repair shop if you can't find one you like. Apple hates third party repair shops. So I'm definitely not "defending the dynasty." There wasn't anything even Apple specific in my post - I was just explaining how capitalism works.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)