AppleCare One Turns Device Protection Into a Household Subscription

CUPERTINO, Calif. — Apple Inc. is moving its hardware protection strategy away from a transactional, device-by-device model as it continues using its ecosystem to generate recurring services revenue. The company’s new AppleCare One subscription allows several products to be covered under one monthly bill, shifting protection from individual product insurance toward a unified household hardware safety net.

AppleCare+ had been the standard way to extend Apple’s baseline warranties for more than a decade. Each policy was tied to a single serial number, while AppleCare One borrows from the structure of Apple One media bundles by grouping multiple devices under one subscription.

The change arrives as Apple’s Services division—comprising ApplePay, iCloud, Apple Music, and AppleCare—has become the company’s second-largest revenue driver behind the iPhone, generating tens of billions of dollars annually. AppleCare began in the company’s early years as a technical support and extended warranty plan; the modern program also addresses the physical risks associated with highly mobile, glass-heavy devices.

For $20 per month, AppleCare One provides full AppleCare+ benefits for up to three eligible devices. Every covered product must be registered to the same Apple Account, formerly called an Apple ID.

The enrollment rules differ by product category. Most hardware, including iPhones, iPads, and Mac computers, must be four years old or newer. Headphones, including AirPods and Beats products, must be one year old or less. Customers with more than three devices can add each additional product for $6 per month.

AppleCare One is currently available only in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Australia. Apple has limited the service to those five primary markets because international insurance regulations and underwriting structures differ.

The financial calculation depends largely on how many products a customer owns. Although prices for various individual AppleCare+ plans have recently increased, AppleCare+ remains more economical for people covering only one device. Its price is scaled to the replacement value of the specific model: AppleCare+ for an iPhone 17 Pro Max costs $14 per month, or $140 annually, while coverage for the budget-conscious iPhone 17e costs $10 per month, or $100 annually.

The comparison changes for a household with several high-tier products. An iPhone 17 Pro Max, a 13-inch iPad Pro powered by the M4 chip, and a pair of AirPods Pro 3 would cost $27.47 per month when insured through separate AppleCare+ policies. AppleCare One covers the same three devices for $20 per month, saving $7.47 each month.

A less expensive combination may produce the opposite result. Individual AppleCare+ policies for an entry-level iPad, basic AirPods, and an Apple Watch SE may total less than $20 per month, making the consolidated subscription less economical.

The protection itself does not change between AppleCare+ and AppleCare One. Both plans offer unlimited accidental-damage repairs for drops, liquid spills, and cracked screens, replacing earlier limits that capped accidental claims at two per year. Repairs can be initiated at any Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider worldwide.

Battery coverage also remains the same. Since lithium-ion batteries naturally lose capacity through chemical aging, either plan provides a free battery replacement when a device’s maximum energy capacity falls below 80 percent of its original health.

For select devices, Express Replacement Service sends a replacement unit before the customer’s damaged hardware is shipped to an Apple repair center. Apple typically places a temporary authorization hold on a credit card for the replacement device’s full value until the damaged unit is received.

Customers still pay standardized deductibles because AppleCare operates under an insurance model. An iPhone screen or back glass replacement has a flat $29 deductible, while more severe damage or a complete device replacement carries a higher deductible.

Theft and loss protection applies to mobile products that are easily lost or targeted for theft, specifically iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches. The coverage permits up to two claims per year, and replacing a lost or stolen device costs a $149 deductible.

Coverage also includes accessories packaged with the device, including charging cables and power adapters. For iPads, protection automatically extends to one Apple Pencil and one Apple iPad keyboard in cases of accidental damage.

Enrollment can be managed directly on Apple hardware by opening Settings, selecting “General,” and tapping “AppleCare & Warranty.” Customers can also use Apple’s dedicated web portal, sign in with their Apple Account, or scan a designated QR code with the device they want to protect.