Apple is yet again making changes to the window of time customers have to buy its AppleCare+ extended warranty for the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and other products. According to Bloomberg, the company has stretched the eligibility for AppleCare+ to an entire year after the purchase of whatever device you’re covering. Retail staff and customer support staff were informed of the change on Monday, though Apple’s website still doesn’t reflect any update.
Mac buyers used to have a year-long window to make a decision about buying Apple’s extended warranty, but when the company added accidental damage coverage to the plans, that timeframe tightened to 60 days. Apple has gone back and forth on how long iPhone customers have, alternating between a year and the current 60 days more than once. So if you didn’t get the extended warranty with your iPhone 11 last September, you’ve now got a fresh opportunity to lengthen coverage — and repairs are much cheaper when you’ve got AppleCare+.
Some Apple stores had already been trialing the extended timeframe for buying AppleCare+, as MacRumors reported last year.
When purchased up front, AppleCare+ provides one additional year of warranty coverage for iPhones and iPads and two added years for Mac, plus covers accidental damage. (There’s always a deductible for physical damage regardless of product.) AppleCare+ is also available for Apple Watch, AirPods and Beats headphones, HomePod, the Pro Display XDR, and iPod touch. Apple has said that the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected AppleCare+ demand as consumers rethink their spending during an economic downturn. Giving them more time could help further boost the company’s services business.
If you’re purchasing AppleCare+ for a device you already own, you’ll need to get it screened either at an Apple store or through a diagnostics test if you order over the phone.
