AppleCare+

AppleCare+ is Apple's brand name for extended warranty and technical support plans for their devices. AppleCare+ extends the devices' one-year limited warranty and the ninety days of technical support (which is known as basic AppleCare). It allows the customer unlimited incidents of accidental damage with a deductible (which, like the price of the plan, varies by device).^[1] AppleCare+ is available for many Apple products, including Mac computers and displays, Beats headphones, HomePods, iPhones and iPads, Apple Watches, and Apple TVs.^[2] AppleCare+ plans include Apple software associated with the covered hardware.^[2]

Every Apple Display, Apple TV, Apple Watch, iPad, iPod, iPhone, HomePod, Mac, and AirPods comes with complimentary telephone technical support and a limited warranty from Apple. AppleCare extends the service coverage by two or three years (depending on the device) from the purchase date, and provides one-stop service and support from Apple experts.^[3] Customers can elect to continue their AppleCare coverage on a monthly basis upon the expiration of their initial plan.^[4]

AppleCare is sold by Apple and its authorized resellers. It can be attached, via the serial number, to devices at the time of purchase, or up to thirty or sixty days (depending on location) post-purchase.^[5]

For all hardware devices, following the included ninety-day telephone and online support, and one-year hardware warranty, buying AppleCare for a MacBook computer or Apple displays extends both support and hardware to three years.^[6] Additionally, buying AppleCare for iPods and other iOS devices can extend both support and hardware to two years.

AppleCare also includes an express replacement service for iPad and iPhone. AppleCare insures against accidental damage, unlike the statutory warranty.^[7]

As of October 2023, Theft and loss coverage is provided in Australia, Austria, Chile, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the United States.^[8] AppleCare with Theft and Loss includes up to two incidents of accidental damage, theft or loss coverage at a reduced cost to the end consumer.^[9] Currently Theft and Loss coverage is unavailable in some parts of Europe, South America, Asia Pacific, Africa, North America (Canada) or Antarctica. To be able to claim on a stolen or lost device, the customer's Find My feature needs to be active.^[10]

Customers who purchase AppleCare with any Mac computer are also automatically entitled to receive coverage for some other related Apple accessories. Along with coverage for the MacBook, any additional Apple display purchased at the same time as a Macbook device is covered.^[11]

In some countries or territories where there are no local Apple offices, such as parts of Latin America, the "AppleCare Extended Service" product is available in place of the AppleCare product. This offers the same hardware warranty, but without phone and online support.^[12]

On March 15, 2013, China Central Television aired a program for the World Consumer Rights Day. The program criticized the issue associated with Apple warranty issues in China. The report said, an iPhone always gets an old back cover when being repaired in China. It also states that the warranty period for changed product is only 90 days and the warranty period for Macintosh and iPad are not according to Chinese laws to get warranty in China.^[13] On April 1, 2013, Apple CEO Tim Cook apologized to Chinese consumers for the China warranty policy and changed the policy.^[14]

In some parts of European countries a part of the European Union (EU), local regulations gives consumers a minimum of two years warranty on hardware defects that existed at time of purchase, which overlaps the benefits of AppleCare. This effectively means that, in certain countries in the EU, AppleCare still offers phone and online support for ninety days on all devices.^[15] In most countries, the onus under the EU law is on the merchant to establish that a hardware defect did not exist at time of purchase for the first six months after purchase. After the six-month period, this is reversed, meaning that the customer may need to establish that a hardware defect did exist when they received the product.^[16] Unlike the statutory guarantee, AppleCare also covers defects that appeared after purchase, if the device was handled correctly.^[17]

On December 27, 2011, Apple was fined a total of €900,000 by the Italian Antitrust Authority for failing to properly inform customers of their legal right to two years of warranty service under Italy's Consumer Code. According to the Italian agency Apple only disclosed its own standard one-year warranty and offered to sell customers AppleCare for one additional year instead of abiding by the law. The agency fined Apple €400,000 for failing to disclose the legally mandated two-year warranty and €500,000 for selling overlapping AppleCare coverage.^[18]

• Apple - AppleCare products and services
• Apple Products and Statutory Warranty