Deciding whether or not to buy AppleCare+ with Apple products can be a tough decision, and the $999-$1149 price of the iPhone X doesn’t make the decision any easier. The cost of AppleCare+ increased for pricier iPhones, but so did the repair costs for out-of-warranty damage.
No one wants to get stuck with a huge out-of-pocket fee to repair a busted iPhone X, although it’s worth considering the math before buying or passing on AppleCare+ for iPhone X.
As we reported Apple charges $29 for screen repairs in warranty, $99 for non-screen repairs in warranty, $279 for screen repairs out of warranty, and $549 for non-screen repairs out of warranty.
$0: No AppleCare+ with no repairs
$199: AppleCare+ with no accidental damage claims
$228: AppleCare+ and one screen repair
$257: AppleCare+ and two screen repair
$279: No AppleCare+ and one screen repair
$298: AppleCare+ and one non-screen repair
$327: AppleCare+, one screen repair, and one non-screen repair
$397: AppleCare+ and two non-screen repairs
No AppleCare: $549: one non-screen repair
No AppleCare: $558: two screen repairs
No AppleCare: $828: one screen repair, and one non-screen repair
No AppleCare: $1098: two non-screen repairs
If you don’t buy AppleCare+ and never need it, you save $199; if you buy AppleCare+ and never use it, you might waste $199. All other scenarios will likely pay off if you anticipate accidentally damaging your iPhone X within the first two years of owning it.
Hopefully seeing the total cost for each possible scenario helps your buying decision.
Source: 9to5mac