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AppleCare may be worth it for your MacBook Pro if you are prone to accidents. But, if you’re a careful person and rarely break things, you probably don’t need it.
I’m Jon, an Apple expert, and owner of a 2019 16-inch MacBook Pro. While I don’t have AppleCare for my Mac, I still see it as beneficial for some people.
Read on to learn if AppleCare is worth it to you.
Is AppleCare Really Worth It?
The decision to purchase AppleCare for your MacBook Pro or not is ultimately up to you.
We will look at some advantages and disadvantages to try and help you make your decision here, but there is no right answer to the question.
AppleCare is beneficial to people that often break things by accident. But, if you’re like me, and you’ve never even broken your phone (let alone a MacBook), you can probably pass on AppleCare. I hope I didn’t jinx myself!
AppleCare Advantages
Peace of mind – if you decide to purchase AppleCare, you won’t have to worry about much for three years after purchasing your new computer. If anything goes wrong, you can rest easy knowing that you will be able to get the help you need to figure it out for free or the repairs you need for cheaper than what you would pay if you didn’t have the coverage.
It is high-quality coverage – AppleCare really is top-notch coverage for your expensive device. Apple is known for excellent customer service, and it’s nice to know that in the event of your computer needing service, you have capable and friendly people around who are going to be willing and able to help you get things fixed.
Accidents happen – Unfortunately, accidents do happen. Even though it might seem rare, your new MacBook Pro could have some sort of defect, or you could accidentally drop it or spill water on it. If you don’t have AppleCare, you will be on the hook for the cost of repairing or replacing it. The accidental coverage that comes with the program is really nice.
Disadvantages
The cost – AppleCare is not cheap. The nearly $300 price tag is quite a bit of extra cash upfront, and then you’ll still need to shell out additional money to make any repairs that need to happen. It still might be cheaper than a new computer. However, if you have several issues over the life of the coverage, it will still cost you quite a lot of money to get your computer fixed and running again.
It doesn’t cover loss or theft – These are two significant concerns with such a valuable computer. I think it would be nice to have loss or theft as an option with AppleCare. However, your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance might cover the cost of a lost or stolen MacBook Pro, but AppleCare definitely will not.
It only lasts three years – MacBook Pros are designed to last quite a while. But AppleCare coverage will only last you for three years. Chances are, the longer you have your computer, the more likely a malfunction or accident will occur. Three years is an OK amount of time for coverage, but it would be nice if it lasted longer.
What is AppleCare?
AppleCare is a coverage plan for all new Apple devices purchased directly through Apple. Most new products from the company come with a one-year limited warranty and 90 days of free technical support. If you want more coverage than just a year, in case of an accident or malfunction, you will need to purchase extra AppleCare coverage to enjoy this luxury.
AppleCare+ will cost you an additional $269 for the 13-inch MacBook Pro and $379 for the current 15-inch model. If you decide to make this purchase, it will extend your warranty from 90 days to 3 years, and you will also have access to free technical support for that length of time as well.
For screen repairs due to accidents, it will cost you $99 to get it fixed with AppleCare. Other damage repair costs $299. This coverage will apply to your computer, display, battery, power adapter, RAM, AirPort, etc. AppleCare+ will not cover incidents of theft or loss to your MacBook Pro.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, this helped you learn some valuable information about the AppleCare program and if it’s worth it for you.
Again, the decision is yours to make, and if money is no concern, I would probably say go for it. The peace of mind alone can be worth it. But it is expensive.
Ultimately, AppleCare is a good coverage option, but it just may not be for everyone due to the cost.
Do you have AppleCare on your MacBook Pro? What was your experience like with the coverage?
About Jonathon Jachura
Vicki Vail
We’ve used nearly all extended warranties on our electronics/game systems ever since they were available (since 2005 or so?), including AppleCare. Game systems, computers, phones, watches don’t go well with developing teens. Here we go again (3rd AppleCare use!), 2.5 years after shelling out $379 for AppleCare on a Macbook Pro 15; yesterday, it slid off son’s college bed, 3.5 ft in air. 1.5 month of warranty left. Best $379 ever spent, AGAIN. I usually ignore “cash cow” warranties, but NOT with electronics (and laundry appliances). You really can’t afford the alternative.
Simon
Applecare used to be worth it. I bought a 2009 unibody 2.4 macbook when the aluminium design first came out. God it was cool then. Looking back you can almost compare it to the ZX Spectrum in it’s day. Mine came with 2 cores and 2gb of ram. I loved its brilliant programs and intuitive use. Almost three years to the day I bought it I had a screen issue and took it in to the Apple shop. They changed the screen on the spot. Ran the numbers checked I was still in the club, so to speak and done. No extra cost, no quibbling they just fixed it with a complete new screen worth about £750 retail. One of the black rubber feet was worn on the battery case cover so they got me a new one of those. And I hadn’t even asked. Since then I’ve upgraded by old macbook to 8gb of ram and it runs a 500 ssd storage drive. But the old thing runs hot and is definitely slow, especially with large picture files. So I am looking at a new one. But am I liking what I see? MacBooks are’t what they were. The clever programs have lost their beauty now and been replaced by corporate stuff and the wow factor that iPhoto or iTunes had in the brilliant displays in the old days are replaced with lacklustre stuff. Applecare has changed too. Not only do you have to buy it, if you use it you have to pay a surcharge. What is Apple worth. Will it ever take a back seat and say “you know what we’re minted, we can let some of these costs slide”. Probably not. Trouble is that Apple is so blinded by its greed and stupid direction that it can’t see that coming round the corner is some kid who has sat eating strawberry jam sandwiches and nothing else as he spends his days writing the next operating system. I’m talking China here of course, and these guys are gonna throw it right back at us, only cheaper. So will I buy a Macbook, probably, as long as they can convince me that the viruses will stay away, but will I buy Applecare, I don’t think so.
Sven
Your article: “If you decide to make this purchase, it will extend your warranty from 90 days to 3 years and you will also have access to free technical support for that length of time as well.”
It extends the warranty from one year to three years (not 90 days to three years).
The technical support gets extended from 90 days to three years.