Is it Worth Buying AppleCare+ for iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus?

Tuesday September 26, 2017 12:45 PM PDT by Joe Rossignol
After spending hundreds of dollars on a brand new iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus, you may be debating whether it's really worth it to put additional money towards an AppleCare+ plan for your shiny new device.


There is no one-size-fits-all answer, but the short version is that AppleCare+ for iPhone is generally worth the investment. The long answer depends on many factors, such as the type of damage and how careful you are.

What is AppleCare+?


AppleCare+ is an optional warranty plan that extends an iPhone's warranty coverage to two years from the original purchase date of the device, and adds up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage, each subject to a service fee of $29 for screen damage, or $99 for any other damage.

AppleCare+ for iPhone also provides 24/7 priority access to AppleCare advisors via online chat or phone for up to two years after the device's original purchase date. Without the plan, iPhone owners are covered by a limited one-year warranty and an initial 90 days of complimentary telephone support.

How Much Does AppleCare+ Cost?


AppleCare+ is $129 for iPhone 8 and $149 for iPhone 8 Plus in the United States.

• Scenario A — Your Screen Cracks
Apple charges $149 for an iPhone 8 screen repair and $169 for an iPhone 8 Plus screen repair in the United States. There's also a $6.95 shipping fee if you need to send the iPhone to an Apple repair facility.

AppleCare+ combined with a screen repair incidental fee costs $158 for iPhone 8 or $178 for iPhone 8 Plus.

AppleCare+ is $2.05 to $9 more expensive if you crack your screen.

• Scenario B — The Back Glass Shatters
Apple charges $349 for an iPhone 8 glass back repair and $399 for an iPhone 8 Plus glass back repair in the United States.

AppleCare+ combined with an "other damage" repair incidental fee costs $228 for iPhone 8 or $248 for iPhone 8 Plus.

AppleCare+ is $121 cheaper for iPhone 8 and $151 cheaper for iPhone 8 Plus if you shatter the back glass.

• Scenario C — Other Damage
Apple charges $349 for a non-screen-related iPhone 8 repair and $399 for a non-screen-related iPhone 8 Plus repair in the United States.

AppleCare+ combined with an "other damage" repair incidental fee costs $228 for iPhone 8 or $248 for iPhone 8 Plus.

AppleCare+ is $121 cheaper for iPhone 8 and $151 cheaper for iPhone 8 Plus for any other kind of damage.


Is AppleCare+ Worth It?


AppleCare+ will save you at least $120 if the rear glass on your iPhone shatters even once. If you plan on using your iPhone without a case, and think you might drop it, then it's a worthwhile investment. If you are using a protective case, however, the rear glass should be able to withstand drops from reasonable heights.

AppleCare+ is less worthwhile if you damage your screen, as you can expect to roughly break even. But, the person who has AppleCare+ would still have a second incident of accidental damage coverage if they ever need it, plus 24/7 priority access to technical support via online chat or phone.

Since it only takes one accident to pay for itself, if not save you money, many users feel AppleCare+ is ultimately worth it. And if you're super careful and never end up needing it, two years of 24/7 priority access to technical support is still a nice perk.

Related Roundup: iPhone 8
Tag: AppleCare
Buyer's Guide: iPhone 8 (Caution)
62 comments


Top Rated Comments

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MartinAppleGuy
9 months ago
A decent 20 dollar case seems to be the best 'Apple Care' compared to those prices. Only device I bought Apple Care with is my 12.9 iPad Pro, has the screen replacement on it is like 599 haha
Rating: 11 Votes
Avatar
IJ Reilly
9 months ago

The extended warranty with my car that costs $2500 of the course of the entire financing term paid for itself at my first service appointment.

I really don't think you should be giving advice to people.


I should say the same for you. Extended warranties are not gifts. They are not pushed by the manufacturers out of the goodness of their hearts. They are pushed because they are very profitable.

I've been buying Apple products for nearly 35 years. If I'd bought AppleCare on them, I'd have spend thousands. And how much would I have collected in claims? Nothing. Zero.

So go ahead and bet that a product is more likely to break than the company that sold it to you believes. After all, you know way better than they do.
Rating: 6 Votes
Avatar
Mlrollin91
9 months ago

Why is the rear glass more expensive?

Wireless charging?

It requires the entire phone to be replaced. iFixIt said the glass is like fused to the rear-housing. iPhone 4/4s, the rear glass was just "screwed" into place by the bottom screws, like the screen.
Rating: 5 Votes
Avatar
IJ Reilly
9 months ago

You have obviously never had your Iphone 8 plus is your back pocket wearing skinny jeans.


You got me there. I am not careless with my stuff. ;)
Rating: 5 Votes
Avatar
IJ Reilly
9 months ago

A decent 20 dollar case seems to be the best 'Apple Care' compared to those prices. Only device I bought Apple Care with is my 12.9 iPad Pro, has the screen replacement on it is like 599 haha


Exactly. Extended warranties are bad deals, always.
Rating: 4 Votes
Avatar
moabal
9 months ago

This is good financial sense. Insure only for things you could not afford to fix or replace out of pocket.


This image better explains my view. Only purchase insurance (AppleCare) if there is a high severity to you (cost) and low frequency of it happening.
Rating: 3 Votes
Avatar
Relentless Power
9 months ago
For me, I have never needed AppleCare for my iPhones. I have been fortunate where I my devices never have been damaged or have had any major hardware issues after my warranty expired. I take good care of my iPhones and has helped with resale. Its great to have when you need it, but I take my chances without it.
Rating: 3 Votes
Avatar
airjay75
9 months ago
I can’t count how many Apple products I’ve purchased since my first iPhone 3GS back in whatever year that was. Never once have I had any in-warranty or out-of-warranty repair that was needed nor have I experienced any cracked screens or other meaningful damage. Had I been purchasing Apple Care + on each of those products, I imagine I would have spent somewhere in the $2k-$3k range. In the unlikely event I need to pay for a repair on a new Apple product, I won’t mind shelling out the full repair price knowing that it will cost me much, much less than had I been purchasing Apple Care + all along on every product. Apple Care +, if you’re not someone who ends up cracking every screen of every iPhone you’ve ever owned, is expensive insurance and one where Apple will make more money than you will save should you have to use it.
Rating: 3 Votes
Avatar
sracer
9 months ago

I can’t count how many Apple products I’ve purchased since my first iPhone 3GS back in whatever year that was. Never once have I had any in-warranty or out-of-warranty repair that was needed nor have I experienced any cracked screens or other meaningful damage. Had I been purchasing Apple Care + on each of those products, I imagine I would have spent somewhere in the $2k-$3k range. In the unlikely event I need to pay for a repair on a new Apple product, I won’t mind shelling out the full repair price knowing that it will cost me much, much less than had I been purchasing Apple Care + all along on every product. Apple Care +, if you’re not someone who ends up cracking every screen of every iPhone you’ve ever owned, is expensive insurance and one where Apple will make more money than you will save should you have to use it.

Same here. I did the math for me... total number of times I could have used AppleCare: 0. Total saved by not buying AppleCare: $3K. The one device that DID fail was my 2011 15.4" Macbook Pro. It would've been outside of AppleCare. It was supposed to be eligible under Apple's repair program but they refused to accept it because it didn't "fail" their test.

The Apple community-at-large fosters a "fear factor" that encourages people to spend more money, "just in case". Buy AppleCare "just in case" I drop my phone. Spend extra for the next storage capacity model "just in case" I need more storage. And so on.
Rating: 3 Votes
Avatar
Eorlas
9 months ago

Exactly. Extended warranties are a bad deals, always.


The extended warranty with my car that costs $2500 of the course of the entire financing term paid for itself at my first service appointment.

I really don't think you should be giving advice to people.
Rating: 3 Votes
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