Customers looking to purchase an Apple Watch are given the option to add the AppleCare+ extended warranty, which is priced at $49 for an Apple Watch Sport model, $69 for an Apple Watch model and $1,500 for an Apple Watch Edition model.
Most users usually don't avail of such extended warranty offers, but they may have to reconsider when it comes to the Apple Watch.
Apple Watch Sport and Apple Watch customers have a limited one-year warranty for hardware and phone support for 90 days. For Apple Watch Edition customers, the hardware warranty and phone support last for two years.
Purchasing the AppleCare+ extended warranty for the Apple Watch Sport and Apple Watch will instead provide users with two years of hardware warranty and phone support. For Apple Watch Edition users, acquiring AppleCare+ will add an additional year to the device's hardware warranty and phone support.
The limited warranty that comes with the devices only covers manufacturer issues and not accidental damage. Purchasing AppleCare+, however, expands the warranty to also cover accidental damage, albeit with an additional fee for each instance of accidental damage. For the Apple Watch Sport, it is $69 per incident, for the Apple Watch it is $79 per incident and for the Apple Watch Edition, it is $1,000 per incident. Users are also limited to two instances of accidental damage per warranty.
The additional coverage for accidental damage is a huge benefit for Apple Watch users, due to the very nature of the device, making it different from all other Apple products. With it being a wearable device worn on the user's wrist, the Apple Watch is always exposed to a user's surroundings, and there is a very real possibility that it will be bumped against things such as walls and doors. While the Apple Watch uses sapphire screens that provide additional protection, the device could still be accidentally hit hard enough to lead to scratches or breakage.
Third-party repairs for the Apple Watch will also not be readily available due to the delay between a device's release and the availability of the device's parts to third-party repair outlets. By purchasing AppleCare+, Apple Watch users are increasing the time through which they can get official repairs from Apple, which could be the only option for repairs of the Apple Watch for a period of time.
AppleCare+ also adds a free replacement of the device's battery once its functionality falls below Apple's standards for the component. Such a small battery on a device that is newly released could mean that there are still some potential issues, and having a battery replacement could be a necessity.
The phone support that Apple offers, which can be extended with AppleCare+, covers questions regarding the new device such as how to access certain functions and troubleshooting certain problems.
With all these benefits, and comparing the amount of the AppleCare+ extended warranty to the price of the Apple Watch, AppleCare+ should be highly recommended for users to avail of upon purchasing the Apple Watch.
