I’ve got a confession to make – please withhold judgement. I’ve never bothered buying AppleCare. It’s not cheap, and I don’t feel like I need it, with a track record of breaking zero iPhones. But for most, it’s hard to ignore the peace of mind it brings when your iPhone slips out your hand and smashes into concrete. One of the biggest problems has been with multiple devices – the cost of AppleCare can quickly add up, and there’s no way to add your existing devices. Or at least, there wasn’t.
Apple just launched AppleCare One. It’s billed as a smarter, more scalable way to protect your devices. And you can finally add devices you already own – even if you’ve had them for a few years. But how much exactly will it cost?
This new Apple subscription lets you cover up to three devices for a flat monthly fee of $20, regardless of what those devices are. That seems quite steep at first, but AppleCare for an iPhone 16 goes for around $10/£10 per month. You can add more devices for a few dollars each, including ones you already own – even if you bought them years ago. I’ve got older iPads still kicking around, so it’s nice to see a plan that doesn’t penalise you for holding onto your gear.
The benefits are more than just cost savings. There’s accidental damage cover, battery replacements, and now, even theft and loss protection for iPads and Apple Watches, not just iPhones. If you’re the sort of person who upgrades often, AppleCare One automatically removes old devices from your plan when you trade them in through Apple, which removes another layer of admin.
AppleCare One solves the problem of having multiple devices with inconsistent coverage and renewal dates. One subscription, one place to manage everything, and real support when things go wrong.
AppleCare One is available from 24 July and costs $19.99. It’s only available in the US so far, and each additional device is $5.99. You can sign-up via your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or in any Apple Store.
