
News + Trends
Liquid-not-so-very-glass
by Samuel Buchmann
Apple now offers a plan that insures up to three devices against damage, theft and loss at a fixed price. Depending on the model, this may be cheaper than individual contracts. AppleCare One is initially only available in the USA.
Apple has introduced a new insurance offer for the US market: «AppleCare One» covers up to three products for USD 19.99 per month. For each additional device, a fee of 5.99 US dollars will be charged. AppleCare One includes the familiar services of AppleCare+, including repairs for self-inflicted damage, battery replacement and 24/7 support. Theft and loss protection is also always included. This was previously only available for the iPhone.
An advantage of the new model is that devices up to four years old can also be insured retrospectively - in contrast to the 60-day period for taking out AppleCare+. The devices must be linked to an Apple account and be in good condition at the time of purchase. Apple checks this with a diagnostic tool. A shorter period of one year from the date of purchase applies to headphones.
AppleCare One is only available in the USA for the time being. An expansion to other markets has not yet been announced. Compared to AppleCare+, the new model can be cheaper. How much depends on the type and number of devices. For things like the Watch, the offer seems rather unattractive. The monthly unit prices for AppleCare+ in the USA are:
In Switzerland, the monthly price of AppleCare+ for the regular iPhone 16 is 7.50 francs (standard) or 11 francs (with theft and loss protection). For the 13" iPad Air it is 5 francs (standard), for the 14" MacBook Pro one year costs 99 francs and three years 279 francs. All Swiss prices can be found here, the German prices here.
My fingerprint often changes so drastically that my MacBook doesn't recognise it anymore. The reason? If I'm not clinging to a monitor or camera, I'm probably clinging to a rockface by the tips of my fingers.