Apple Adds New $29 Screen Repair Option to AppleCare+ for iPhone, Increases Service Fee to $99

Wednesday September 7, 2016 1:58 PM PDT by Juli Clover
Apple today quietly updated its AppleCare+ repair program for the iPhone, introducing a new $29 screen replacement option and raising the incidental repair fee to $99 for all iPhones.

With AppleCare+, iPhone users receive no-questions-asked coverage for two incidents of accidental damage, subject to a service fee. Previously, iPhone 6s and 6s Plus users had to pay a $99 fee for each replacement, while iPhone SE and iPhone 6 and earlier replacements were priced at $79.

applecare+
Apple is now charging a $99 service fee across the board for repairs regardless of device, but at the same time, there's a new option that will save many iPhone users money -- screen repairs for a service fee of just $29.

Repairs for iPhones that need to be replaced or repaired due to a damaged screen will now be more affordable, while more significant repairs for the latest devices will continue to cost $99. Those with an iPhone SE or an iPhone 6 and older will now need to pay $99 instead of $79 for major repairs, but will also save money with the cheaper screen repair option.

AppleCare+ is priced at $129 for the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus and extends iPhone coverage for two years. AppleCare+ for the iPad is unchanged.

Tag: AppleCare
41 comments


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Exile714
39 months ago
Does that apply retroactively to Apple Care purchased before today?
Rating: 3 Votes
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whyamihere
39 months ago

The price hasn't gone up. It was $129 last year and again this year.


Price went up from $79 to $99 for a replacement.
from 6 to 6s it went up from $99 to $129 and to start and $79 to $99 for a replacement.

If the 7 is water resistant... why would you need a whole phone replacement?


I likely won't. Which is why I do not find it a value to purchase AppleCare+ at these increased rates. The phones cost the same as they always have, so should the insurance. If the phone's value increases, then that would justify these applecare+ increases.
Rating: 3 Votes
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colbertnation
39 months ago
It's penny pinching like this when you have $200B cash pile that gets at me.

I'm worried this company is becoming more and more like Dell, HP, etc., in terms of customer service and penny pinching for each thing.
Rating: 3 Votes
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smacrumon
39 months ago
Quite the rip off.
Rating: 3 Votes
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HopefulHumanist
39 months ago
Quite a nice surprise. I imagine screen replacement will be the only real repair required for the water resistant iPhone 7. Definitely gonna feel more comfortable going caseless now.
Rating: 3 Votes
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macduke
39 months ago
Since I'm in the iPhone Upgrade Program, I get AppleCare+. $29 is less than some cases, especially if you buy a screen protector. Maybe I'll actually go caseless this year?

What I want to know is this: can I get a replacement for scratches on the screen, or do I have to intentionally break it? I'm paying a fee, so it shouldn't matter, right? I had my first ever deeper scratch on an iPhone this year and I'm not sure how. Funny that the 6s was supposed to have the best scratch resistance of them all up to that point.

Edit: fixed accidental reversal of phrasing on scratch resistance
Rating: 2 Votes
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Arran
39 months ago

... The pricing for AppleCare+ didn't go up, and in fact AppleCare+ makes more sense now because you don't have to spend $99 or use up one of your incidental replacements for a cracked screen. Now you only have to pay $29 for screen repair and it doesn't count toward your 2 incidences...


Agree you only pay $29 for the screen repair now, but it looks like it does count as one incident of accidental damage:
Rating: 2 Votes
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newyorkone
39 months ago
I think most of the replies in this thread completely misunderstand and misinterpret the new AppleCare+ program.

The pricing for AppleCare+ didn't go up, and in fact AppleCare+ makes more sense now because you don't have to spend $99 or use up one of your incidental replacements for a cracked screen. Now you only have to pay $29 for screen repair and it doesn't count toward your 2 incidences. With the new iPhone being waterproof, you really probably won't need the incidental replacements except in situations like for example, running over your iPhone with your car, which is highly unlikely.

I didn't get AppleCare+ for my last iPhone because at $129 + $99 to replace a cracked screen, it wasn't economically feasible. Now AppleCare+ makes sense again.
Rating: 2 Votes
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Hal~9000
39 months ago

Had AppleCare+ on all phones until the 6s when pricing went to absurd. And now they raise it more... costing $228 to get a replacement. Next year it will probably cost more to get a replacement with AppleCare+ than without!


Oh don't you worry about that now... I'm sure over time Apple will continue raising the price of AppleCare+ but also make "worth it" by raising the price of out-of-warranty replacements too ;):p
Rating: 2 Votes
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HopefulHumanist
39 months ago

Had AppleCare+ on all phones until the 6s when pricing went to absurd. And now they raise it more... costing $228 to get a replacement. Next year it will probably cost more to get a replacement with AppleCare+ than without!

The price hasn't gone up. It was $129 last year and again this year. The pricing only went up at the last-gen tier. If the 7 is water resistant and screens are $29 to replace, why would you need a whole phone replacement?
Rating: 1 Votes
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