Best iPhone warranty value

[Detroittl]

I want to get an iPhone 7. What's the best deal out there and best major provider? Best value per month for unlimited everything? Is it a good idea to "lease" the phone since I like a new one every year? A must have is coverage if I drop it with a low deductible.

Anybody have AppleCare ?

[LadyGeek]

This thread is now in the Personal Consumer Issues forum (warranty).

[mhalley]

Best place to get phone might not be best carrier. Gizmodo had a couple articles abipout it recently.
http://www.imore.com/best-way-buy-your-iphone
http://gizmodo.com/how-to-upgrade-to-an ... 1786255847
Spoiler: they like getting it directly from Apple.

[lazydavid]

If you want a new phone every year, just enroll in the iPhone upgrade program. For $5/month more than a standard installment plan on the device, you get the AppleCare+, and the right to exchange the device every 12 months.

If you drop it and break the screen, you'll get a replacement for $29. If you snap the phone in half, they'll charge $99 for the replacement. You can do that up to twice during the coverage period.

[kjvmartin]

Do you have a current iPhone? Several of the major carriers are offering $650 trade credit toward iPhone 7. This is what I did.

I do not think AppleCare is worth it for a smart phone. They're expendable. They're good for about 2 years, I've found, before they start to lose full functionality. You get a free warranty for 1 year. The warranty is good for the 2nd year. If you're getting a Macbook Pro or an iMac, go for AppleCare and use a credit card with a +1 year warranty. That's 4 years of warranty coverage, a beautiful thing.

Do you break your screen a lot? If you plan to break your screen twice, AppleCare will save you a few bucks.

kjv

[lazydavid]

I do not think AppleCare is worth it for a smart phone. They're expendable. They're good for about 2 years, I've found, before they start to lose full functionality. You get a free warranty for 90 days. The warranty is good for the 2nd year.

Fixed your post. Standard warranties are a joke these days. Apple covers defects in iPhones for less than 3 months. If you want longer coverage, get AppleCare+. That said, I haven't purchased an extended warranty on any of my six lines for the past 10 years, and in that time I'm out a sum total of $300 for 3 broken devices (2 Galaxy phones @$71 each, plus one iPad mini @$149) in that decade. Insuring those devices would have cost thousands. I'm more than happy having paid the break/fix fee vs fully insuring each device.

[kjvmartin]

Maybe this varies by country?

http://www.apple.com/legal/warranty/pro ... nt-us.html

Says 1 year there.

kjv

[markelp]

Apple provides 90 days of phone, chat or email support with every device they sell. You can get more personal support even past the 90 days if you make an appointment with a Genius at the Apple Store.

In the US, Apple provides 1 year of LIMITED WARRANTY for manufacturer's defects in materials and workmanship with every device they sell. Other countries/regions have different lengths of the warranty as required by law.

AppleCare+ extends the phone, chat and email support from 90 days to 2 years and the warranty coverage from 1 year to 2 years in the US. It also adds accidental damage coverage for two years (with a service fee for each claim) and battery coverage if the battery doesn't hold a charge past a specific %.

If you want the peace of mind, it is FAR better to purchase the manufacturer's extended service and support contract (like AppleCare+) vs a third party (like SquareTrade or SmartGuard). It will be more expensive, but it will also be more expansive and typically the manufacturer wants to provide a positive customer experience. Many times, the others are focused on minimizing their costs while maximizing profits which means finding reasons to exclude your claim.

Read the Warranty terms that come with your device AND the terms and conditions for the extended service and support contract. Both are provided before purchase as required by law. These are the minimum levels of service that will be provided if there is a problem.

[soccerdad12]

To me the best warranty is a $6 glass screen overlay. It is saved multiple shattered phone screens for us.

[kjvmartin]

The accidental damage is limited to 2 occurrences and has a $29 deductible each time.

One nice thing about AppleCare is they cover the cord. The cords are generally garbage anyway, they wear out pretty regularly. I've walked in and swapped out several.

kjv

[markelp]

The accidental damage is limited to 2 occurrences and has a $29 deductible each time.

The $29 accidental damage service fee is for screen damage only:

AppleCare+ for iPhone extends your coverage to two years from the original purchase date of your iPhone1 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, plus applicable tax.

The term 'deductible' is for insurance. AppleCare+ is not considered insurance in the US even though it has some elements similar to insurance. It is important to review the state specific terms as well as they modify the other terms.

Here's another interesting thing about these contracts. You can cancel at any time and receive a refund. Either a full refund or a pro-rated refund if it is past a certain number of days or if you used some of the benefits.

US/Canada terms and state differences are accessible here:
http://www.apple.com/legal/sales-suppor ... ecareplus/

[markelp]

One nice thing about AppleCare is they cover the cord. The cords are generally garbage anyway, they wear out pretty regularly. I've walked in and swapped out several.

kjv

Great point. With Apple, accessories that are provided with the device are covered as well. This includes chargers, cables/cords and headphones. They will also cover service and support for an Apple-branded wifi device (AirPort or TimeCapsule) if purchased within the last two years and used with the covered product.

[TheOscarGuy]

Do you have a current iPhone? Several of the major carriers are offering $650 trade credit toward iPhone 7. This is what I did.

I didn't see that. I am on at&t and don't see any offer for such credit. Could you tell me which carrier you have?

[kjvmartin]

I have Verizon. When I Google. AT&T iPhone 7, I found this link

https://www.att.com/cellphones/iphone/i ... sku8040292

At the top of the page it says in a link: Check out how to get an iPhone 7 for $0. Learn more about this offer >

It seems the terms are a little different with AT&T than Verizon, but a similar offer. I didn't read all the fine print, but perhaps a call to AT&T might be in order?

kjv

[Snezz1e]

If you pay your cell phone bill with a Wells Fargo credit card they offer free damage and theft protection for up to 4 phones. $600 coverage and $25 deductible.

Doesn't cover the full price of the iPhone but repair cost should be much less or Apple has the out of warranty replacement option for $319. Even in cases of theft you'll still end up slightly ahead or the same as the carrier insurance which covers theft have a $175+ deductible.

Note that this coverage is only for "damage" and "theft". Doesn't cover lost phones or normal product defect failures such as the touch disease issue. You are covered under normal Apple warranty for this for first year. You could claim that the failure happened after you supposedly dropped it after 1st year but that technically would be fraud. A better route is to buy the phone outright using a credit card instead of going on an installment plan(not possible if you are going with the trade-in offer). Most cards will add 1 year to the manufacturer warranty (Citi Double Cash adds 2 years) which will be enough to cover most people as they usually upgrade every 2 years. AMEX will probably be best as many people had a good experience with them (they gave me full refund after filing claim without having me provide repair estimates or sending in phone to them) although the extra year from Citi is nice too (no experience with them yet).

More details on coverage here: https://www08.wellsfargomedia.com/asset ... nefits.pdf

[Bammerman]

Re: (kjvmartin)

If you're getting a Macbook Pro or an iMac, go for AppleCare and use a credit card with a +1 year warranty. That's 4 years of warranty coverage, a beautiful thing.

I'm aware of the doubling of the manufacturer's warranty offered by some credit cards but had not thought about this aspect. I looked up my Visa benefits and found this:

Extended Warranty doubles the original manufacturer warranty up to a maximum of twenty-four (24) months on most items you purchase. For products with multiple warranty components, each warranty time period will be extended up to a maximum of twelve twenty-four (24). Should you fail to properly register the original warranty as required by manufacturer, we will only double the actual warranty time period that you received from the manufacturer. An example of a product with multiple warranty components includes an appliance with original manufacturer's (or U.S. store brand) warranties that differ for parts, labor, compressor, etc.
If you purchase a service contract or an optional extended warranty of twenty-four (24) months or less on your item, we will cover up to an additional twenty-four (24) months after both the original manufacturer's (or U.S. store brand) warranty and the purchased service contract or extended warranty coverage period end. If your service contract or extended warranty exceeds twenty-four (24) months, this coverage does not apply.
If you do not have an additional service contract or an optional extended warranty, this Extended Warranty benefit commences the day after your original manufacturer's (or U.S. store brand) warranty expires.

(my emphasis in bold) Thanks for pointing this out.