Giving them more time could help further boost the company’s services business. Apple has said that the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected AppleCare+ demand as consumers rethink their spending during an economic downturn.
(There’s always a deductible for physical damage regardless of product.) AppleCare+ is also available for Apple Watch, AirPods and Beats headphones, HomePod, the Pro Display XDR, and iPod touch. Customers have historically had 30 to 60 days to activate an AppleCare+ plan from the date of purchase, although Apple has recently extended that window to one year in the U.S. When purchased up front, AppleCare+ provides one additional year of warranty coverage for iPhones and iPads and two added years for Mac, plus covers accidental damage. Some Apple stores had already been trialing the extended timeframe for buying AppleCare+, as MacRumors reported last year.
So if you didn’t get the extended warranty with your iPhone 11 last September, you’ve now got a fresh opportunity to lengthen coverage - and repairs are much cheaper when you’ve got AppleCare+. Apple has gone back and forth on how long iPhone customers have, alternating between a year and the current 60 days more than once. Previously, it had to be added within 60 days.
Mac buyers used to have a year-long window to make a decision about buying Apple’s extended warranty, but when the company added accidental damage coverage to the plans, that timeframe tightened to 60 days. Apple will now let you buy its AppleCare+ extended warranty within a year of purchasing whatever device you want covered. In most countries and regions, you can buy AppleCare+ within 60 days of your device purchase. Retail staff and customer support staff were informed of the change on Monday, though Apple’s website still doesn’t reflect any update. If you still need help buying an AppleCare plan, contact Apple Support.
According to Bloomberg, the company has stretched the eligibility for AppleCare+ to an entire year after the purchase of whatever device you’re covering. How to activate AppleCare How to activate AppleCare. Apple is yet again making changes to the window of time customers have to buy its AppleCare+ extended warranty for the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and other products.