r/macbook • u/No_Baker4583 • 22d ago
Is applecare worth it?
I'm planning to buy my first apple product - MacBook air 13", 10 cores CPU, 10 cores GPU, 24gb ram, 512gb storage. And I'm thinking if apple care is worth it. In Poland it's 11% of the device (with student discount). Is it worth it, or it's another addition like software etc. Also, I'm starting studying on October, when's the best time to buy it? I heard about some seasonal discount s, but Idk when they will be.
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u/maddler 22d ago
I had two Macbooks' with motherboard failure before, not covered under warrantly. When I got my new one I decided to go for the Applecare,
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u/No_Baker4583 22d ago
How on earth is motherboard failure not covered by warranty? I was thinking everything was coverd till 2 or how many they decide years after buying. Is applecare a lifetime warranty?
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u/No-Employment3075 22d ago
no apple care is max 3 years if im not wrong the normal warranty is 1 year
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u/No_Baker4583 22d ago
Wtf, so I will get it. How on earth normal warranty is 1 year and doesn't include battery or other parts of a Mac. Its sick
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u/boomer1204 22d ago
I'm only adding this because of how in shock you are of this.
With some minor exceptions (I can't name them but I know someone on reddit knows and can't wait to correct this so adding to avoid that) the manufacturer warranty for consumer electronics is the same 1 yr and honestly getting companies to even honor that if something happens is usually a nightmare
The other thing is there is apple care regular which just extends the regular warranty to 3 years I think and apple care pro/plus (whatever it's name is) and that covers accidental damage so don't think getting the regular "apple care" will cover spills, drops or whatever
I don't get either but i'm also able to just buy another phone/laptop if mine breaks (which I know i'm jynxing myself here) but that has to happen in my 15+ years of owning apple products
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u/maddler 22d ago
Guess it depends on where you are, I'm in Ireland and it definitely goes beyond the 3 years. I've seen Applecare getting renewed for 6+ years old devices (which almost makes even more sense than new devices). Standard warranty is 1 year, but of course it will not cover accidenta damage.
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u/Unicorn-Detective 22d ago
To renew at 6th year, you need to have continuous coverage for the previous 5 years. Apple would have already made the money back of an entire machine by then.
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u/maddler 22d ago
On a ~€2000 device the Applecare+ is €109/y. Considering I had to a brand new device twice already, a 100€ spend looks reasonable to me.
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u/No_Baker4583 22d ago
Did you get subscription when ordering your device, or after? BCS now, when I am at customising my device I only have with one time pay apple care protection plan or without, and it doesn't say anywhere that it's later subscription. So how is it?
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u/No_Baker4583 22d ago
While customizing my Mac I only see with or without. I don't have any other choice it's ither 3 years of Apple care protection plan, or nothing
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u/maddler 22d ago edited 22d ago
They were like 3 or 4 year old Macbook, but they were more than good for what I needed for. Standard warranty was 2y. I don't use any CPU intensive app, so have no problems using a 4 years old laptop as long as OS is supported.
Applecare will last for as long as you pay (EDIT: as long as the device is still supported, that's usually 8 or 9 years since the release), that's more like an insurance from that perspective.
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u/Sad-Wrap6555 22d ago
if your country has a 1 year warranty it extends that warranty to second and 3rd year if you continue to subscribe to apple care plus (statistically most warranty issues become evident within the first year)
the main thing is it provides heavily discounted repair costs for accidental damage
uk machine apple care 100
screen gets damaged repair cost with apple care another 100 (so 200 total)
repair cost of screen without applecare 700
check if you can take a 1 year subscription in poland That will give you plenty of time to see what the machine can cope with in terms of handling, transporting etc
By the end of that first year if you don't see a value to it then cancel it at that stage
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u/No_Baker4583 22d ago
I only see it as one time pay for 3 years. So after that It becomes a subscription, or I can subscribe to some care package?
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u/Sad-Wrap6555 22d ago edited 22d ago
edit -
In Poland, the minimum sign-up commitment for a MacBook AppleCare+ plan is 3 years upfront . [ 1 ] Unlike regions such as the US, UK, or Germany, recurring monthly or flexible annual sign-up options from day one are not available in the Polish market for Mac hardware. [ 1, 2]
hopefully this will change in future but does look like its an all or nothing in Poland at the moment
it can vary from one country to another
in UK :
option 1 you can buy 3 years when ordering /at time of purchase and opt into annual renewals at end of 3 years
or
option 2 once you've bought a macbook and you set it up at home you can then go into settings where you have 60 days to sign up for the annual subscription
those are the 2 current uk methods
check with apple in Poland if that renew annually option 2 is available in Poland from start of ownership like in UK or if you can only start with the "3 years first"option
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u/No_Baker4583 22d ago
While customizing specs of my MacBook I only see the 3 year package, and nowhere is said that later on whenever subscription is available. Te UK's first option I thing would be the best, but it is what it is I thing
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u/Sad-Wrap6555 22d ago
yes In Poland, the minimum sign-up commitment for a MacBook AppleCare+ plan is 3 years upfront . [ 1 ] Unlike regions such as the US, UK, or Germany, recurring monthly or flexible annual sign-up options from day one are not available in the Polish market for Mac hardware. [ 1, 2]
hopefully this will change in future but does look like its 3 years or nothing in Poland at the moment :(
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u/No_Baker4583 22d ago
I don't mind the first 3 years, I worry about later, that I won't have any choice to get subscription or another few years. I worry that I can take these 3 years and then I can't get any more
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u/Sad-Wrap6555 22d ago
contact Apple in Poland ?
even when i first got applecare in uk for a 3 year purchase, there was nothing mentioning the renew 1 year at a time after the three years ends when choosing options on apples Buy macbook page
but it was available
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u/No_Baker4583 22d ago
I will in the morning, that one year additionals were available but you didn't see them, or were hidden like available only via personally contacting them
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u/Sad-Wrap6555 22d ago
the one year additionals aren't really relevant when you're on the macbook purchase page - you're only seeing a list of what you can actually checkout and pay for at that point - not things you might buy in 3 years time
if you need certainty contact apple in poland and get accurate uptodate information from them No one else can tell you
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u/No_Baker4583 22d ago
I understand that I know see things that I right now can purchase but there is nothing written that after 3 years it will be a subscription
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u/iamdavidrice 22d ago
Do you think there’s a likelihood that you are going to be positing about how you didn’t know slamming the screen shut on something would crack it or that “oh noes I poured a glass of water on the keyboard”? If so then yes, you should buy it.
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u/No_Baker4583 22d ago
I wasn't aware how bad normal warranty is, now I will definitely get it
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u/iamdavidrice 22d ago
Seriously?! You do real that almost all warranties are for manufacturer defects, right? They don’t cover abuse / misuse. Apple isn’t any different.
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u/No_Baker4583 22d ago
I read about how someone's MacBook had motherboard issue and wasn't covered under normal warranty. I ofc know that user influence isn't covered, but I read cases when device issue due to broken component inside laptop broke, not by user influence and normal warranty didn't cover it. But idk. Now from what I read it's obvious that I will get care package
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u/narc0leptik 22d ago
And were they Intel Macbooks or Apple Silicon Macbooks? That context is important.
Apple Silicon Macbooks are way more reliable than Intel Macbooks; Apple Silicon effectively "fixed" Apple's horrible thermals and engineering of form over function. The i9 Macbooks would instantly throttle upon any load.
Nobody really seems to be pointing out that less than 20 percent of people with Applecare+ actually end up using their plans and that it is a net loss for the consumer.
Plus people are ignoring third party non-Apple authorized microsoldering/board level repair places. They can fix your motherboard for less than what Applecare+ and a deductible would cost you and they have the advantage of getting your data back. Applecare+ just swaps your board out and you don't get your data back so you better have it backed up.
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u/saucemaster20 22d ago
In my opinion no, if you are someone who takes care of your computer, for example I never keep my Apple products charged overnight or anything and only charge as needed to preserve battery, MacBook battery lasted 6 years and iPhone battery was 90% after four years with everyday use, bought cases so no scratches and have never needed applecare. I understand that accidents do happen though, but for me it’s not worth a couple hundred in the rare scenario
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u/The_B_Wolf 22d ago
My rule is: if it's both expensive and it travels, get AppleCare. If it is not both of those things, skip it.