Is AppleCare+ Worth Buying for Your iPhone? - Consumer Reports (2024)

With starting prices of $999 and $1,199, Apple’s new iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max aren’t cheap. So it should come as no surprise that they’ll be costly to fix.

Have a cracked screen? Your friendly neighborhood Apple Store will replace it for $379, assuming Apple’s repair prices stay the same for this year’s Pro models. A new screen and back glass? That will set you back about $499. And if you need the 16 Pro Max’s rear camera fixed, that’ll cost about $249.

But if you shell out $199 for a two-year AppleCare+ plan, these problems are a lot cheaper to deal with. The screen replacement deductible will run you just $29. For the screen and back glass, the fee is $58. For other accidental damage, it’s $99. And as part of the deal, you also get priority 24/7 tech support, and you can get loss and theft protection for an additional fee.

So is it worth it? Given the significant increases in repair pricing for iPhones in recent years, AppleCare+ might let you rest easier, especially if you (or others in your family) are prone to dropping phones.

But that doesn’t make AppleCare+ a wise investment for everyone.

Here’s a deeper look at how much AppleCare+ plans cost and what they cover.

What AppleCare+ Costs

iPhone 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max

• Standard AppleCare+: a one-time fee of $199 (two-year coverage) or $9.99 per month.

• AppleCare+ with theft and loss protection: $269 (two-year coverage) or $13.49 per month.

iPhone 16 Plus, 15 Plus, 14 Plus

• Standard AppleCare+: a one-time fee of $179 (two-year coverage) or $8.99 per month.

• AppleCare+ with theft and loss protection: $249 (two-year coverage) or $12.49 per month.

iPhone 16, 15, 14

• Standard AppleCare+: a one-time fee of $149 (two-year coverage) or $7.99 per month.

• AppleCare+ with theft and loss protection: $219 (two-year coverage) or $11.49 per month.

iPhone SE (3rd Generation)

• Standard AppleCare+: $79 (two-year coverage) or $3.99 per month.

• AppleCare+ with theft and loss protection: $149 (two-year coverage) or $7.49 per month.

Whether those prices are worth it depends on what kind of phone you have and how much risk you’re comfortable with.

Let’s say you lose your iPhone 16 Pro and have theft and loss coverage. Your replacement costs are going to total $418 (a $149 deductible plus the $269 you paid for the AppleCare+ plan). That’s a substantial amount to save when you’re talking about a $1,000 phone.

But the savings aren’t as great in other circ*mstances. If you get AppleCare+ for an iPhone 14 and then crack the screen, you’ll have to pay $29 as your deductible. Add the $149 fee for AppleCare+ and your total cost will be $178. If you don’t have the protection plan and need that repair, you’ll be paying $279. That’s a difference of about $100.

In CR’s annual smartphone survey, members reported that the most common reason they had their iPhones repaired was to replace the battery. For the iPhone 15 and 14 models (and presumably the new iPhone 16, once Apple updates its repair prices), that cost without AppleCare+ is $99; for the iPhone 13 and the iPhone 12 it costs $89.

These prices are much less than the $149 fee for AppleCare+, so if your main concern is the battery wearing out, it’s cheaper to just have the battery replaced without the plan.

Keep in mind that every iPhone automatically comes with a one-year limited warranty, but this covers only hardware issues that aren’t the result of accidental damage. You’d still be on the hook for, say, a cracked screen or broken camera from dropping your device.

Coverage under AppleCare+ also has some restrictions. The plans don’t cover damage caused by “reckless, abusive, willful, or intentional conduct.” So if you were planning to test out your new phone’s toughness by running it over with a car, don’t. And you can’t collect on a theft or loss claim if you don’t have Find My iPhone activated at the time your device disappears.

Also, the repair costs we’re citing here are for work done by Apple. You might be able to get cheaper battery or screen replacements, for instance, at an independent shop. And if you’re not afraid of taking apart your expensive phone, Apple now offers a self-service repair option that gives you access to genuine Apple parts, the repair manual, and rental tools, but the process is... difficult. Most people are better off leaving the repairs to professionals.

Why Is It So Expensive to Fix an iPhone?

When we’re talking about hundreds of dollars to replace a screen, it’s worth asking why all these repairs are so expensive.

One reason is that iPhones dating back to the iPhone 8 are sheathed in glass on the back and front, making them vulnerable to damage in a fall.

The latest iPhone 16 models feature an upgraded Ceramic Shield, a material created with Corning that fuses ceramic into the front glass of the phones. Apple says the new material is “two times tougher than any smartphone glass.” But when it does break, that glass is expensive to repair.

Why do today’s phones use so much glass? Because metal interferes with wireless charging, says Richard Fisco, head of electronics testing for Consumer Reports. “Apple’s designers could have used plastic, but that has a cheap look and doesn’t feel appropriate for a premium phone,” he says.

The supersharp OLED displays used on all of the iPhone 16 models, along with iPhones going back to the XS, contribute to the higher repair costs as well. The technology—also used in high-end TVs for its deep blacks, accurate colors, and energy efficiency—doesn’t come cheap, Fisco says.

Still, Apple has made a concerted effort to improve the iPhone’s repairability.

Starting with the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus models, Apple redesigned the frame of the phone to allow for the rear glass to be replaced more easily, substantially reducing repair costs for rear glass damage. Repairing the rear glass of the iPhone 14 Pro Max costs $549 without AppleCare+ but only $199 for the redesigned iPhone 15 Pro Max.

In any event, it’s smart to protect your iPhone with a sturdy case.

Bottom Line

There’s really no right or wrong answer about whether you should pay for AppleCare+ coverage. It’s all about how much risk you’re willing to assume.

But the higher the price of the device, the more it might make sense to pay for a little peace of mind.

If the thought of having to unexpectedly shell out nearly $600 to repair your phone is worrisome, the $79 to $269 AppleCare+ cost might well be worth it.

If you’re buying the phone for a teenager whose smartphone takes some abuse, the added insurance might save you some grief, too.

Unlike automotive insurance, Apple’s coverage doesn’t hinge on past behavior. A serial phone smasher pays the same as someone who has never cracked a screen would pay. As a result, AppleCare+ costs and restrictions are designed with high-risk people in mind.

And that means if you’re a klutz or just prone to bad luck, AppleCare+ coverage is probably a better deal for you than it may be for others.