What is AppleCare? Easily explained

Apple products come with a one-year AppleCare warranty when you purchase them. It is often not quite clear what that is. In this practical tip, we explain what is behind AppleCare and how the Apple warranty differs from the statutory warranty.

AppleCare and warranty - what's the difference?

When you buy an Apple device, you get AppleCare warranty for one year from the date of purchase. In addition, the statutory warranty of two years applies.

• With AppleCare, you can have defects repaired easily and free of charge by Apple Service. If this is not possible, you will receive a replacement device. This also applies to defects that only appear after the purchase.
• The statutory two-year warranty applies in addition to AppleCare. The difference is that the warranty only covers defects that have been proven to exist before the purchase.
• Apple does bring a voluntary additional service, which at first glance appears to be consumer-friendly, but after the first year it is often difficult to prove whether defects occurred before or after the purchase.
• Other dealers, such as Microsoft, usually give a two-year warranty. Such a guarantee is voluntary and is in principle similar to AppleCare.
• Apple only gives you a one-year warranty, while other retailers give a two-year warranty.
• However, there are defects that are excluded from AppleCare and other guarantees for smartphones, tablets and computers. This includes water damage and display damage. You can retrofit such damage at Apple with paid upgrades to AppleCare + or the AppleCare Protection Plan.
• In another practical tip, we will explain the difference between guarantee and warranty in more detail.

AppleCare + and AppleCare Protection Plan

The AppleCare Protection Plan extends the warranty up to three years. The Protection Plan must be completed no later than one year after purchase, i.e. during the term of AppleCare. The AppleCare Protection Plan is available for all devices except iPhone, iPad and iPod. AppleCare + is available for these devices.

• In another practical tip, we explain what exactly the AppleCare Protection Plan contains and for whom the purchase is worthwhile.
• With AppleCare + you can extend the warranty to two years. The special thing about it is that even in the case of self-inflicted damage such as water damage or broken displays, the device can be exchanged up to two times for a deductible (iPad 49 euros, iPhone 69 euros, iPod 29 euros).
• AppleCare + is a kind of insurance for your Apple device. However, it does not include theft or loss.
• You can complete AppleCare + up to 30 days after purchase. Insurance is available for iPhone, iPad and iPod.
• You can get information about the prices and scope of the Apple Care extensions directly from Apple.