Originally published at: Apple Unveils AppleCare One for Multiple-Device Protection - TidBITS
Apple has launched AppleCare One, a new device protection plan that consolidates AppleCare coverage for multiple Apple devices under a single monthly subscription. For $19.99 per month, customers in the US—it’s not available in other countries—can protect up to three devices, with additional devices costing $5.99 each per month. The plan includes all the benefits of AppleCare+, such as unlimited accidental damage repairs, battery replacements if capacity drops below 80%, and up to three annual claims for theft and loss protection for the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. Don’t forget that Apple charges additional service fees or deductibles for accidental damage, theft, or loss.
A notable aspect of AppleCare One is that you can now add devices up to 4 years old to your plan, a significant change from the traditional 60-day window for purchasing AppleCare+. The only catch is that older devices must be in good condition and may be required to pass a diagnostic check or inspection to verify that fact. However, AppleCare One is a per-user plan; you can’t use it to cover multiple devices in a family.
AppleCare One offers welcome flexibility in device management: you can add or remove devices at any time, and the coverage automatically transfers when you trade in a covered device to Apple and purchase a new one—no need to manually cancel or restart coverage. For iPhone Upgrade Program subscribers, Dan Moren reports at Six Colors that you can still participate in AppleCare One by contacting Apple Support to unbundle your AppleCare+ coverage from the iPhone financing.
Deciding if AppleCare One Is Worthwhile
Apple claims that customers can save up to $11 per month compared to individual AppleCare+ plans. However, the actual savings depend on which devices you’re protecting. For instance, AppleCare+ for my 14-inch MacBook Pro currently costs $9.99 per month, and my iPhone 16 Pro is $13.99. If I were to enroll those devices individually in AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss today, it would cost $23.98 per month. AppleCare One’s $19.99 monthly fee would represent a noticeable savings, and I could get coverage for my Apple Watch Series 9 for free, rather than the usual $4.99 per month.
The value proposition becomes more complicated for those of us with existing AppleCare coverage, especially given that Apple has seemingly raised prices and discontinued multi-year plans recently. For example, I currently pay $9.99 monthly for AppleCare+ on my iPhone 16 Pro (purchased September 2024) and $279 for 3 years of coverage on my 14-inch MacBook Pro (purchased June 2025, equivalent to $7.75 monthly). I opted not to purchase AppleCare+ for my Apple Watch Series 9 due to its high durability and lower cost. My total monthly equivalent is thus $17.74 for the devices I want to protect, making AppleCare One’s $19.99 monthly fee excessive for my situation.
Also, individual AppleCare+ plans cost less for lower-end devices. If you’re protecting entry-level devices—such as an iPhone SE ($7.99/month), iPad mini ($4.99/month), and Apple Watch SE ($2.99/month)—the combined monthly cost would be only $15.97, which is well under AppleCare One’s $19.99. Even adding a MacBook Air ($6.99/month individually, or $5.99/month as a fourth AppleCare One device) wouldn’t make it financially worthwhile.
While AppleCare One simplifies device protection, it’s essential to remember that, overall, extended warranties benefit the companies offering them more than the customers buying them. Apple wouldn’t be introducing AppleCare One if it didn’t expect the program to increase its Services revenue well beyond what it pays out in AppleCare coverage. If you can afford to repair or replace a broken or lost device, self-insuring is often a more financially prudent option.
That said, AppleCare One could make sense if you:
- Prefer the peace of mind of being able to have damaged or lost devices fixed or replaced for a relatively low service fee
- Own multiple devices with high AppleCare+ costs
- Have older devices that you’d like to protect
- Prefer predictable monthly payments over unexpected repair or replacement costs
You can sign up for AppleCare One directly through your devices (in Settings/System Settings > General > AppleCare & Warranty) or at an Apple Store. Whether it’s worth it for you depends on your devices, risk tolerance, and how much you value simplified coverage over likely long-term savings.
AppleCare Recommendations
I’ve developed a set of policies surrounding AppleCare for myself and anyone who asks me for recommendations:
- iPhones: Because they’re constantly mobile, easily dropped or lost, and rather expensive, I always get and recommend AppleCare+ with Theft and Loss. (I also always use and recommend a case; every phone will be dropped at some point.)
- Mac laptops: Although laptops aren’t moved around as much as iPhones, they’re more fragile because of their size and the clamshell design. We also often pick them up and set them down in awkward positions, increasing the chance of accidents. I always get and recommend AppleCare+ for laptops, and doubly so for students.
- iPads: The wide price difference between iPads changes the equation. For a $349 iPad, it’s hard to recommend AppleCare+ unless the iPad will be used by a small child or if it’s a stretch to afford even that much. The higher prices of the iPad Air and iPad Pro might make AppleCare+ worthwhile, but the iPad unibody design makes them much less fragile than MacBooks. Personally, I wouldn’t buy AppleCare+ for an iPad, but I’d tailor recommendations to individual situations.
- Mac desktops and displays: Since desktop Macs and displays are rarely moved, I consider the standard Apple warranty to be sufficient for them.
- Apple Watches: Given the extreme durability of Apple Watches, I never get or recommend AppleCare+ for them. I wear mine while doing fairly intensive outdoor work, and only slight wear is visible on the black case. Additionally, the Apple Watch will be attached to your body, making it less likely to be lost or stolen.
- AirPods: Although it’s easy to drop AirPods, they seem to be quite durable and are fairly inexpensive, so it’s hard to see AppleCare+ being worthwhile. They do often go missing, which is why Apple doesn’t offer theft and loss protection. The AirPods Max may require a different decision because they’re much more fragile and expensive.
- Apple TVs and HomePods: They sit quietly on a shelf and don’t cost much—what’s to insure? Don’t bother getting AppleCare+ for them.
- Vision Pro: No one has ever asked me if they should buy AppleCare+ for a Vision Pro (or if they should buy a Vision Pro at all), but given how expensive and fragile they are, I’d recommend it.
Is there a more concrete way of deciding whether AppleCare+ is worthwhile, and thus if AppleCare One might be a better choice? I decided to build a spreadsheet that might shed light on that question. (It was partially an excuse to see if I could get ChatGPT’s Agent mode to extract all the AppleCare+ prices from Apple’s interactive tool, along with entry-level list prices for each product, a task that it performed well but not perfectly.) I then added a column to the spreadsheet with my estimation of damage risk and calculated the percentage of the list price that paying monthly for AppleCare+ would amount to. Please let me know in the comments if you would find additional information helpful.
). I’m completely sure that the device they sent me had the problem - it wasn’t caused by my use.