Typically, when you buy new Apple-branded hardware covered by AppleCare+, you only have 60 days to purchase the extra coverage. That is changing, though.
According to a report from Bloomberg, Apple is extending the time customers have to buy AppleCare+ coverage for their new hardware due to slumping sales. The report says Apple will now allow customers to buy or subscribe to AppleCare+, which will provide additional coverage, up to a year after buying the new device(s). That’s quite the extension from the original 60 days.
This extension is only for customers in the United States and in Canada.
At the time of publication, there are still some unanswered questions. Apple’s own dedicated site on AppleCare+ isn’t reflecting any changes to the length of time customers have to cover their devices, and the original report doesn’t indicate which devices –or if it will be all of them– that will have the extension offered.
According to the report, Apple informed its retail employees of the upcoming change, saying this is “another opportunity to protect their device and have access to all the ‌AppleCare‌+ benefits”.
Apple sees this as a way to boost revenue in the Services department, which is still doing quite well for itself despite the pandemic and the overall impact Apple (and other companies) have felt during this stretch of time.
If you have had a device for some time already and want to get it covered by AppleCare+ –if that’s an option at all– you’ll need to have it inspected by a retail employee before you’ll be able to sign up. This is to make sure your device isn’t already damaged before you sign up for the extra coverage.
What do you think of the change? If you don’t already add AppleCare+ to your device(s), will this extension make a difference to you at all? Let us know in the comments.